Prove Yourself
by dark hope1
Summary: Last sequel to 'Mistakes'. It has been 13 years since Sakura last saw Xiao Lang. Now he's back and she has to prove to him, her friends, and herself that she really is worthy to be the Card's Mistress.
1. A dream and a message

Author's Note: Thank you all for your support. But for those of you who don't know, you must and I repeat MUST read Mistakes, Just To Talk and Gratitude BEFORE you read this fic. They are all one-shots and they all follow up to this point. It is like a mini-series.  
  
Starquestor- Meiling is dead. She died by demons and it is said in the first part, Mistakes. She did not put herself under the knife (though I wonder if she did what will she would like to look like). And I'm not trying to criticize you, but even if she was sent to protect Tomoyo, she would be put under an illusion spell and a spell which changes your looks to whatever you want.  
  
This will be a S+S fic for those of you who are wondering. Though it will be a weird one and really won't seem like it as you read. I think. Anyways, I had a really busy week so I am sorry that I couldn't update earlier like I said I would.  
  
______________________________  
  
Kinomoto Sakura smiled brightly at the young girl as she signed her signature on a picture of herself. After signing her name and welcoming the little girl, Sakura continued her walk through the park. The 23 year old women caught sight of a very dear friend and half father, Hiragizawa Eriol.  
  
Quickening her pace to reach him, she made a half trip and fell into his arms for a hug. Both laughing while embracing, the two of them let go of each other and started to walk aimlessly around the park.  
  
"Eriol-kun, it's so good to see you again," Sakura said happily.  
  
"It's good to see you again my kawaii Sakura-chan," Eriol replied with the same amount of happiness as Sakura did.  
  
"Did you get see Tomoyo-chan this morning?" she asked.  
  
"Of course I did and last night," he said and in mock horror, "If I didn't than I would have died!"  
  
Sakura giggled. "It's been so long seen I've last seen you!"  
  
"Maa maa (now now I think) Sakura-chan, it has only been 2 months seen you last saw me."  
  
"Yes, but its been the longest time that you and Tomoyo-chan has been apart form each other since your engagement and Tomoyo-chan missed you very much."  
  
"Yes," Eriol said with a secret smile of his. Like he knew something wonderful but wasn't telling. "She showed me just how much she missed me last night."  
  
"Really? What did she show you?" Sakura asked curiously not knowing what her Tomoyo-chan showed him that she didn't know about.  
  
Eriol sweat drop but smile at her fondly. For all of her 23 years of age, Sakura was still very naïve. But it was what he, Touya, and Kero wished for. For her to remain innocent. But ever since that chat with Xiao Lang a couple of years ago and another one with Touya a couple months after that, he wondered if it was all worth it.  
  
(But fate is cruel. It favors few)  
  
Eriol stopped walking for a split second and turned around, looking for that voice that he had just heard. It wasn't Sakura because she was busy talking about up coming trip in a month to America to do a modeling show there. She didn't notice Eriol stopping for barely a second to look around and then resume walking. Apparently she didn't hear the voice when it spoke.  
  
Eriol didn't find anyone near them who could have whispered the strange but true statement about fate. He searched the park with his aura and found two or three sorcerers, but whose powers were too weak to carry their voice to Eriol's ears, and what felt like the barriers of his mind.  
  
"Eriol-kun?" Sakura said breaking his search and train of thought.  
  
"Yes Sakura-chan?"  
  
"I asked you how long are you going to stay this time, but you didn't answer. Are you alright?" she asked with worry in her eyes. Eyes that showed the same innocent as years before. Eyes that showed no knowledge of the sacrifice that had to be made to make the world, if anything, safer. Not happier and certainly not wiser, but safer. And again the question came to Eriol's mind: Was it worth it?  
  
"Hai," he answered the worried women. "I'm fine. I just had something on my mind." And with that they continued their walk.  
  
*~~~~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Hours later, Sakura walked into her apartment with heaved a tried yet happy sigh. Her day was great. After her walk with Eriol, they found Tomoyo, with Yana in tow, at one of her shops and dragged her out to get lunch. Afterwards they went to see a movie and then another walk around the park. It was a nice spring day to just walk around. Afterward, they all had dinner. Then Sakura went home while Eriol and Tomoyo went somewhere to just be together and Yana back to the mansion.  
  
"Kero-chan! I'm home!" Sakura called out walking into the living room of her apartment.  
  
"Welcome back Sakura-chan!" Kero said flying next to Sakura and landing on the coffee table. "Did you bring me anything to eat?"  
  
"Always hungry, ne?" Sakura said placing a hand on her mouth and giggled.  
  
Kero puffed up his breast and proudly said, "Of course I'm always hungry. I have to keep up my strength if I want to protect you. And I'm a big beast. Big guys like me need all the nutrition we can get."  
  
Sakura giggled some more and gave him a big brown big of food that she order during dinner.  
  
"Yes, but there is nothing really to protect me from," she said as she walked towards her bedroom.  
  
As she closed her door, but left little ajar for Kero, he muttered, "But you have no idea."  
  
Sakura dressed into her clothes that she used for sleeping and laid on her bed. The bed where HIS use to be. In the apartment where HE use to live. She looked around her room and saw a lot of pink and many pictures of her, friends, and family around the wall and on top of the dresser. She was very sure the HE didn't have this many pictures when HE use to live there, or that much pink in HIS used to be room. The only thing in her room that wasn't pink, besides her furniture and some of her clothes, was her bed. She insisted that it should be green. So Tomoyo made her coverings a dark green but with embroidered pink Sakura petals falling around it.  
  
"Why green?" she remembered Tomoyo asking when she told her what color she wanted her beddings to be.  
  
"Because it reminds me of the person who we use to know. That use to live here," she replied back with that innocent smile of hers. The kind of smile that only showed when she was remembering HIM, she but didn't even notice. Slightly sad but happy and sweet at the same time.  
  
"I wonder what he is doing now," she said to herself. Over the years, Sakura really did grow more mature, but she sometimes hid her maturity. She liked to stay innocent and sweet. She saw how some people become bitter as they grew older. She didn't want to become like they did. She didn't want people to dislike her because she was a bitter person. So she tried to remain innocent and sweet for as long as she could. It was for everyone else's sake because it seemed that they took comfort in the fact that at least one person remained the same over the years.  
  
She remembered when she decided to move out of the family's house. When she was 19, she wanted to be more independent like many older teens her age. The apartment building where she currently lives now was the first place where she looked. But at the time, there a couple living in the only apartment that she wanted. The place where HE use to live. But after waiting a couple of months, the couple who lived there got married and moved out. Sakura was there the same day that the coupe gave their notification that they would be moving out. Touya teased her that she probably was watching the apartment complex, for months. Just waiting for the couple to move out.  
  
'He's probably right,' Sakura mused to herself remembering that Touya had suddenly gotten a swollen foot after his teasing.  
  
Later that night, Kero came hovering into the room and closed the lights.  
  
"Good night Sakura-chan," he said getting into his miniature bed next to Sakura's.  
  
"Good night Kero-chan," she answered back.  
  
Both laid on their beds in the dark. Both knowing that the other wasn't asleep and neither said anything. Finally Kero said, "Do you think you'll have that dream again?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe," she replied back.  
  
For the past 4 months, Sakura had recurring dreams that she, Eriol, Yue, Kero, and Spinel agreed that it was a dream about the future. A very disturbing dream, but they all knew that it had something to do with the future. At first it happened at least once a week. Soon it became more frequent and life-like. Now it happened every night, but she still couldn't make out the details of it or any sense of it.  
  
Minutes later, both Sakura and Kero were fast asleep.  
  
*~*Dream*~*  
  
It was dark. Not the kind of dark that left you scared and wondering what creatures were hiding in it. It was more of night dark. One where you were just standing outside the night enjoying the cool air that only the night could offer.  
  
But then slowly, a green light started to form. It made a large sphere, encaging Sakura and the darkness. It wasn't so bad. The green light didn't feel dark or evil. It felt almost safe. But it didn't feel –whole-. Like there was something missing that should be there. But Sakura was confused. How can green light not feel whole?  
  
Then, more light came to the darkness and Sakura found herself standing on the Tokyo tower. She saw the lights of Tokyo shining brightly in the night. But there were no people walking around the city. No usual batch of people walking or wobbling home after a couple of hours in the bar and no sound of cars making their way through the city.  
  
"Just like the judgment day," Sakura whispered.  
  
Quiet. Everywhere there was silence. She started to get nervous. Everywhere she looked, nothing moved. Then she looked up, in hopes of seeing that green light. Fortunately for her, it was still there, but very faint. It started to disappear.  
  
"NO!" she screamed. "Don't leave me here!"  
  
Laughter. There was laughter in the city. But she couldn't see them. She wasn't even sure if it was humans who were laughing. It had amusement in their laughter. An amusement that was almost sick. She turned around and looked down, trying to see the ones making the demented laughter.  
  
'But do you really want to see them?' a voice inside her asked.  
  
'I don't know,' she silently replied to the voice, not caring that she didn't know who or what asked her. She was too busy looking for the ones making the insane laughter.  
  
"Sakura! Fight!" a voice yelled. Its sound coming from what seemed like all directions.  
  
"Fight?" she said confused and at a lost.  
  
There was no reply.  
  
"I don't understand!" she yelled out to the empty city. The laughter grew louder.  
  
She couldn't take the voices that were clearly laughing at her. She fell to her knees and started to tremble lightly.  
  
"Weakling," the voices that were laughing at her started to say.  
  
"I... I... I don't know.... I don't know what to do," she whispered.  
  
"It's all your fault!" some of the voices yelled out in half amusement and half anger.  
  
"Weakling!"  
  
"Coward!"  
  
"This wouldn't happen because of you!"  
  
"I don't understand," she said.  
  
The laughter continued. Then a quite voice said which Sakura hardly heard:  
  
"It's almost time."  
  
*~*Morning*~*  
  
Sakura woke up slowly. She looked around her room as if not recognizing it.  
  
She heard a yarning next her bed and saw Kero waking up from his small bed. "Good morning Sakura-chan," he said still half asleep.  
  
"Good Morning Kero-chan."  
  
Rubbing the last of the night's sleep away he ask, "How was the dream?"  
  
Sighing, Sakura got out of bed, "Same as always. I couldn't remember much but some lights and laughter."  
  
"Don't worry Sakura-chan. I'm sure that you'll remember everything in time."  
  
"I hope so. I get this feeling that something is going to happen soon,"  
  
"If something does happen, we'll take care of it. You can count on us!" Kero said.  
  
"I know I could always count on you," she appreciatively said.  
  
"So, uh, what are your plans today?" Kero asked as Sakura grabbed cleaned clothes and headed for the bathroom.  
  
"I'm going to see Wakari-kun this morning, then to work."  
  
"Ahh, Yoake Wakari. Understanding dawn. The ex-fiancé. Nice kid too. Still have feelings for him?" Kero inquired.  
  
"A little," Sakura answered back. "But not as much as before. Sometimes I still wondered what it would be like if I hadn't broken off the engagement."  
  
"Sakura-chan, it was more like he broke it off, not you," Kero half exasperated. His exasperation indicated that this wasn't the first time they had a conversation similar to this.  
  
"I know Kero-chan. But it still feels like –I- was the one who did something wrong," Sakura said giving off a tired sigh.  
  
"Go take your shower while I attempt to get breakfast ready," Kero encouraged her and himself. Kero's cooking skills was enough to make any decent cook cry.  
  
Later that morning, after a slight burned down kitchen and half too well done breakfast, Sakura walked into The Wolf's Den café and sat down at a table where a young gentlemen was already sited. He had short brown black hair and soft brown eyes that would make any girl blush when he looked her eyes. He was 5.7 and one of the kindest person Sakura ever met.  
  
"Good morning Wakari-kun," Sakura said when she sat down.  
  
"Good morning Sakura-chan," he replied back with a sweet smile. "How is Kero today?"  
  
"He is good. Though I can't say the same for his cooking," she answered brightly. They both laughed.  
  
"I already ordered you something, if that is okay with you?" Wakair said.  
  
"Thank you. It's fine by me. You are just too good to me," she said with a hint of an apologetic voice.  
  
"Iie, don't apologize," Wakari said waving his hands in front of him. "I meant what I said."  
  
Three years ago, Sakura and Wakari were both engaged. They had been seeing each other about 5 years or so prior to that. Wakari fell in love with Sakura during those 5 years and so did Sakura to Wakari. But Sakura did not feel as strongly to Wakari as he did to her. Sakura, being the kind of person she was, did not tell him that she did in fact love him, but not enough to want to spent the rest of her life with him.  
  
Though she did say yes to him when he asked her to marry him. She did not want to sadden him by refusing him. Sakura told him who she was, the Card's Mistress, and that she had magic a week after their engagement. His first reaction was shocked, then she hugged her and spun her around exclaiming how wonderful to it would be to use her magic to entertain the children. That is when Sakura fully realized that Wakari was not the person she wanted to marry. Again she did not voice this out so that he would not become sad. But Wakari knew her too well. Two months later, he confronted Sakura about the matter.  
  
"Sakura-chan, I know that you don't love as I love you," he began but was cut off by Sakura.  
  
"Of course I love!" she said but was in returned, cut off by Wakari.  
  
"I know you do," he said softly, placing his fingers on her lips so that she would not interrupt him again. "But not as much as you love me. Maybe you love me in a brotherly way too."  
  
Sakura tried protesting saying that she didn't love him like a bother, but again Wakari place his fingers on her lips.  
  
"I'm saying maybe. –Maybe- you love me in a brotherly too but do not realize it. At first I was so happy that we were going to be married soon. But then when I mentioned children, your eyes darkened. That's when I started to suspect. But then again, I've always suspected for a few years that maybe you didn't love me the way I wanted you too. I didn't think much further on it because I really didn't want to know. To know that maybe, you were really in love with someone else.  
  
I was that selfish to hold onto you like that. Sakura I loved you than, and I still do now. But I want you to be happy. I started to watch you more closely. I noticed how sometimes you would look at me, but not really –see- me. Like you were looking for someone else in me or someone else completely, but couldn't find that person. Then, when you started talking about your adventures when you were capturing the cards then turning them into your own, you always had this smile on your face. Like you were remembering something special, as if someone you love rather, was in your past and not here, now in the present. I think Sakura-chan that you are in love with someone else. So I think that I should let you go."  
  
After that, Wakari gave Sakura time to think it over. She found that maybe, -maybe- she was in love with someone else. But who? When she finally told Wakari her real thought after much time, two years ago. True to his name, Understanding Dawn, Wakari told her that he was happy for her. That she finally realized what really made her happy.  
  
"When you finally tell the lucky person what you really feel, I want to meet that person and take 'em out to lunch," he had said.  
  
Now two years later, Wakari and Sakura were best of friends. After their breakfast (Sakura's second if you could count that breakfast), Wakari walked Sakura to her job.  
  
Late that afternoon, while the sun was beginning to set, at the place where Sakura had to fight Eriol almost 13 years ago, six people met. Touya came with Yukito, Eriol with Nakura and Spinel in tow, and Kero flying solo.  
  
"I take it that you all got the message too," Eriol stated more than asked.  
  
"Yeah, we did," Touya said nodding to Yukito who in turn transformed into Yue. Ruby Moon didn't want to transform sine she is Nakura.  
  
"So, HE was behind this along. I should have known!" Kero said a bit angered and smacked his little paw with the other.  
  
"Calm down Cerberus," Spinel said to Kero.  
  
"Calm down?! I'll show you calm!!" and with that, both guardians which resembled toys started starching each other's faces while Nakura cheered them on.  
  
The rest of the just watch and sweat dropped. Finally, Eriol said in his Clow Reed voice, "Spinal Sun, Cerberus, enough!"  
  
Both guardian beasts stopped beating their counter parts and Nakura stopped cheering.  
  
"Yes Sir," they said.  
  
"Now, if everyone is done fooling around, we must talk about the message," Yue said in his monotone like voice.  
  
"Yes," agreed Touya. "Where is Sakura now?"  
  
"She called home," Kero answered. "She is with Tomoyo-chan, Yana and Wakari still. She might be out late with them tonight."  
  
"Okay. Does she any idea what is going on in her dreams?" Nakura asked.  
  
"No clue yet," Kero answered again.  
  
"I must admit, those dreams, Sakura keeps having are very eluding, "Eriol said. "It didn't really help that Sakura kept forgetting them either."  
  
"I don't think he meant for her to remember them," Touya said voicing his thoughts.  
  
"Nonsense!" Spinel snapped which caused them all to look at him. "Of course he meant for her to remember them. If we weren't all so stupid, we could have remembered the Dream Card. Sakura could have used the Dream Card to tell her where the dream is coming from, what the dream is, and help in finding the meaning behind it."  
  
"Yes, but remember, she has gone weak. I don't think she even –has- the power to fully use the Dram Card," Eriol sadly said.  
  
"Maybe. But she still has the power to fully use the Windy," Yue stated.  
  
"At least she has that," Touya muttered.  
  
"But will it be enough?" Nakura asked worriedly.  
  
"I don't know," Eriol said. If they hadn't screwed things up before, maybe this wouldn't have happened.  
  
"He wants to test her. Soon," they all agreed with Touya.  
  
"But the question is: How soon?" voiced Yue on all of their thoughts.  
  
"Could be tonight."  
  
"Doubt it."  
  
"Next month?"  
  
"Don't get your hopes up Kero."  
  
"Hey I'm just trying to be optimistic!"  
  
"Well as you can see, it's not working!"  
  
"Say that to me again!"  
  
"Think he has grown?"  
  
"Knowing him from before, I wouldn't put it pass him."  
  
"Think he changed?"  
  
"Who wouldn't?"  
  
"Sakura didn't."  
  
"Oh, right."  
  
"Stupid Suppi-chan! I could beat you in any video game at any time!"  
  
"I'm suuure you could."  
  
"Was that a challenge?"  
  
"Why, did you actually figure it out?"  
  
"I'm hungry. I hardly ate anything today."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because I was so busy trying to get the house clean. You wouldn't believe how much dust books could accumulate."  
  
"Oh I think I have some idea."  
  
"Silence!" Eriol commanded using his Clow Reed's voice once again.  
  
There was silence. Everyone looked at the young man, including Yue who had not taken part in the double conversations.  
  
"Kaho told me a couple of hours ago that most likely, the test that Sakura has to go through will be tomorrow night. Now, as you know, we cannot interfere. We have done so years before and look where it got us. Now its time for Sakura to go through this alone," as Eriol said this, Kero and Touya started to protest but he cut them off. "She –must- go through by herself or else she will never do anything for herself. In the past, she always had someone to watch over her. Now it's finally time to see what she can do by herself."  
  
Kero and Touya both looked down and made a tight fist. They hated the idea that Sakura had to go up against something more powerful than she could ever be alone. But they knew that she had to this. To find out to see if it was really wroth it.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wakari – Understanding Yoake – Dawn  
  
Again, sorry for not updating this sooner. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up next week. Watch out for that. 


	2. Informational background

*~*Dream*~*  
  
Once again Sakura found herself on top of the Tokyo Tower overlooking parts of Tokyo. But this time, there was no laughter in the empty city and no green light in the sky. There was none of the unusual oddities that usual happens in her pervious dreams.  
  
Sakura walked in a circle surveying the empty city. She saw nothing like last time. No movement and this time, no sound. It didn't feel wrong but it didn't feel as safe like last time. It felt more... weird. More right than the others. Though for the life of her, Sakura couldn't say why so.  
  
"This is really weird," she muttered to herself. "Hello! Anybody out there!"  
  
Her reply was the sound of silence echoing back at her.  
  
"What are you trying to show me?" she yelled. "Last time, you were trying to show me something. Am I right? What are you trying to tell me?"  
  
"Sakura! Fight!"  
  
"What?" she spun around, trying to look for the source of the voice. It was oddly familiar, yet different.  
  
She didn't find the owner of the voice. The city was as empty as before.  
  
"I don't understand. Fight what?" she asked.  
  
"Fight!" it said again, more persistent.  
  
"But fight what?" turning around and around, going in circles. Where was the voice coming from? "I know that something is going to happen soon. But I don't know what is going to happen. Please, tell me."  
  
"Tonight."  
  
Behind her. The person telling her to fight was behind her. She wasted no time turning around.....  
  
......only to discover that no one was there. Confused, Sakura looked at the spot where she was certain that the person speaking to her should have been. Should have still be there, but wasn't. The voice didn't have the exact qualities of a male voice would have, but it didn't sound exactly female either. It sounded like an echo from a distant, fuzzed out and hard to tell if it was guy or woman who yelled. But the voice was clear and soft.  
  
"Tonight," she said. "What's happening tonight?"  
  
No answer. Then, Sakura started to feel herself awake up.  
  
"Wait!" she cried out. "What's happening? I don't understand!"  
  
And just as the dream world started to fade, she heard a distant voice say, "You must."  
  
*~*Morning*~*  
  
"Good morning Sakura-chan," she heard Kero say, still half a sleep.  
  
"Kero!" she almost yelled. Half in excitement and half in the dread and confusion of the dream.  
  
"What is Sakura-chan? Did something bad happen in the dream?"  
  
"I'm not sure. But I remember it! I finally remember it!"  
  
"You do? That's great Sakura-chan," he said. The sleep already gone from his system as he hovered a couple of inches in front of her face. "What did you see?"  
  
"It was strange," she began.  
  
"How strange?" Kero asked curiously.  
  
"I don't know. It's like, the past dreams, something kept interfering or came into my dream. I don't know. It felt like this is more like the dream was suppose to be this way. Only, whatever I was supposed to be dreaming now wasn't fully matured. I'm sorry. It's so hard to explain."  
  
"It's okay Sakura-chan. I think I know what you are talking about," Kero said.  
  
"You do?"  
  
"Yes. You said that the pervious dreams felt like some interfered, ne?"  
  
"Hai."  
  
"Well, remember how when you were younger, you had dreams that at first you couldn't make out very clearly? Then as time went on, you started to see more of it and later everything seemed more like a movie that you saw a while back. So if something interfered with the dream, it's possible that the dream wasn't fully developed," Kero said.  
  
"I guess so," Sakura said but with uncertainty in her voice.  
  
"But the question is; who would want to interfere with the dream and why?" Kero thoughtfully asked.  
  
"I don't know. I thought that this sort of thing was behind me now," she brought her knees up, locked her arms around her legs, and laid her head on her knees. She looked almost sad and confused. Almost like trying to find out why she was in the position that she is in and what she did wrong to be in that place. An impediment that would not fully go away. Then again, that's what Kero thought that Sakura *almost* looked like. He hoped that that wasn't what she was really thinking about.  
  
Kero looked up at the ceiling. 'Who and why indeed.' He thought to himself.  
  
*~*Later that morning*~*  
  
"I don't know of anyone with that kind of power to interfere with a Seraphim's power," Eriol said to Touya.  
  
Both men were currently in Eriol's living room, discussing about Sakura's dream and the possibilities that would happen that night. Nakura and Spinal were with Sakura, Kero, Tomoyo, Yukito, and Wakari at Tomoyo's mansion discussing about the same topic as the two men were.  
  
"Could be other angels," Touya pointed out.  
  
"But why would they want to interfere with the Trial?" Eriol asked.  
  
"Who knows? It could also be Fallens," Touya said shrugging.  
  
"Possibly. They do have about the same amount of power as the heavenly angels us we humans so charmingly put it. But the same question still implies, why would they want to interfere with the Trial?" Eriol went to look out the window.  
  
"Well, at least we know for sure that it will be tonight," Touya drew out.  
  
"Yes," Eriol slowly agreed. "But has Sakura learned enough in life? Has she already learned that there are some things in life that you just can't change? No matter how terrible or unfair it can be many times?"  
  
"You have to trust in Sakura," Touya said not looking at Eriol.  
  
Eriol turned around to look at Touya. The older man's hands were grasped tight together in a fist. "I do trust Sakura. I just worry for her as much as you worry for her. If not, more so. If someone was able to interfere with the dreams, then he or she or whatever form of living creature must have the capability to interfere with the Trail as well."  
  
"Do you think they will?"  
  
Eriol raised an eyebrow. "Do you think there could be more of them?"  
  
"Could be," Touya released his fists from their painful grasp of each other to relax them. "We can't just eliminate the possibility just because we don't know for sure who is behind this. We don't even have a clue as to who would want to get involved with our affairs now."  
  
"Well, let's break this down," Eriol took a sit in front of Touya. "Sakura mention that there was a green light shaped like a dome covering most of Tokyo."  
  
"She was also on top of Tokyo Tower like the Judgment," Touya added.  
  
"Right. We also know that it's Xiao Lang who will be the Head of the Trial. He will be the one who will test her and pass judgment on her. We will be the Adherenter, or supporter for Sakura. Yue and Kero are not allowed to help or get in the fight that Sakura will go through," Eriol said.  
  
"Do they know that?" Touya asked.  
  
"No. They also don't about the roles we have to play in this."  
  
"They're going to be mad at us when they find out. No, not even mad. Furious is more like it," Touya said.  
  
"Are you not mad that Sakura will be facing him alone as well?" Touya looked away.  
  
Then he said, "Years ago, I wouldn't have minded. I would have even have encouraged it because she seemed so much more powerful than he was. Ever could be too it seemed. She could have beaten him with a blindfold and right arm tied behind her back. Now, Xiao Lang is the one with more power than Sakura ever hope to get. He could easily defeat her with his seventh sense and other six senses blocked out."  
  
"Taste, touch, hear, sight, and instinct," Eriol named off the six senses that every human is born with. Well, the six senses that the magic world said there were. Not including the seventh.  
  
"Yeah," Touya nodded. "I'm not furious that she has to do this by herself. I'm beyond that. An even though I am mad at fate and Xiao Lang, I feel helpless and I have to just stand there and watch this all happen to her."  
  
"But it's like what you said earlier, we have to trust in Sakura."  
  
"But what would happen if she fails?" Touya miserably asked.  
  
"I don't know," Eriol admitted. "But I don't want to find out."  
  
"Who will be the neutralist? The one who will take neither side?" Touya asked.  
  
"I don't know. It could be a Power or a witch," Eriol answered. "Or maybe it's a wizard."  
  
Touya let out a low whistle. "A wizard. If it is a wizard, I would really like to meet him, her, or it. There hasn't been a new one born in about 47 years I hear."  
  
"True," Eriol agreed. "It has been years since I meet with one. It is fortunate for them that they live long lives."  
  
"'Long lives' is an understatement. They aren't even human."  
  
"Then it is even more fortunate for them that they can easily change the properties of their blood and DNA to fit that of a human for the little 'government purposes' that the government loves to do." Eriol smiled sweetly.  
  
Touya snorted. The world's population was billions of living creatures. More than billions. Almost a fourth, more or less, of the human population were what humans considered "magical". Then you take about another fourth of the "magical" population and they are not even human. Wizards, witches, elves, and imps were just to name a few. Of course, those were just the human terms for them. Those humans who consider themselves witches, and are also of the religion of witchcraft and have a tiny bit of power, are just distant echoes of the real being of witches. The rest lived in another realm and mostly visited this realm for their own purposes.  
  
"Now, the problem. The Commencer. The one who go against Sakura and the one who will push her to her limits edges and beyond. Whether she wants to or not. There will be no sympathy for her," Eriol said.  
  
"Armen," Touya agreed. "A Fallen. He is the one we should worry about during the Trial. Besides the threat. Wait. Sakura said that there was laughing in the dream besides the one from last night."  
  
"Laughter. She said that it was an insane laughter," Eriol's eyes became wide in realization. "Demons."  
  
*~*Tomoyo's house*~*  
  
"I wonder what onii-chan and Eriol-kun are talking about," Sakura said thoughtfully during their dessert after lunch.  
  
"Who knows? Maybe it really something happened to their business that they had to fix right away," Kero said plucking a grape into his mouth.  
  
Everyone else in the room just shook their heads and smiled. They knew what Eriol and Touya were really taking about, the same topic that the rest of them were talking about before they stopped for lunch. The situation at hand: the event that was to happen tonight.  
  
The question was: what was so important that the two of them only would talk about and not with the rest? If it had to do with Sakura, why not talk to Yue and Kero as well? Both guardians were a little hurt that they were not talking about with Eriol and Touya. Nakura and Spinel were hurt as well that their master knew something about what was going to happen and didn't tell them.  
  
Then, one of the objects of their thoughts came into the parlor. Eriol smiled at them and mumbled an apology to them for being late and did a swift kiss on Tomoyo before sitting down next to her.  
  
"Well look who decided to grace us with his presence," Kero heatedly said. "Where's the other one?"  
  
Eriol raised an eyebrow. "I assume you mean Touya. I left him outside talking to Yana-san. We have to-"but he was interrupted by Tomoyo, Nakura, and Sakura.  
  
"They're soo kawaii together!!" Sakura exclaimed.  
  
"I knew they would be good for each other," Nakura squealed.  
  
"Good for each other! They're perfect for each!" Tomoyo exclaimed with hearts in her eyes.  
  
"I'm so glad that Touya has found happiness in Yana-san. Think of it, they could be married by this time next year," Sakura said happily.  
  
"Marriage," Nakura said dreamily.  
  
"I could be an aunt soon," Sakura said just as dreamily.  
  
"Two kids, a little girl and a little boy. The girl who looks just like Yana-san and the boy is just like Touya-san. I should get started with their kawaii outfits soon!" Tomoyo said.  
  
"Well, it seem that those girls are happy," Wakari said to the rest of the men. They all gave their own remarks about it.  
  
"Hey Eriol," Yukito said, "You and Tomoyo are going to get married soon as well. Well, sooner than Touya and Yana, but how many children are you expecting to have?"  
  
Eriol smiled that mysterious smile of his. "Well. In my past life, I did not get the chance to have an actual family of my own. My mother had to make my family and Clan. So I am hoping that this life time would be different. Maybe if we work hard enough, Tomoyo and I can make another Clan that is actually directed to me. The Hiragizawa Clan. It has a nice ring to it."  
  
"Excuse me," Tomoyo said hearing what Eriol said. "Another Clan? My, aren't you all high and mighty now. And what makes you think that I would want to spend half my life giving birth to children?"  
  
Eriol didn't miss a beat, "Because my darling koishii, I have a reputation to uphold as a powerful sorcerer *and* you love me." He pulled her into his arms and held her tight while they looked into each other's eyes with love.  
  
"You guys are going to have a very busy life if you try to pull that off," Kero muttered.  
  
"All I know is that I'm not going to change them, feed them, or make silly noises to them," Spinel muttered as well.  
  
Then, Touya came into the room looking a bit grave.  
  
"Onii-chan!!" Sakura said jumping up. "What happened? Did you and Yana-san break up? Or did you two have a fight?" She looked at him worriedly.  
  
Touya raised his eye brow at Eriol. "So I presume that you didn't tell them?"  
  
"I tried to tell them that we needed tell them something. But... things got... a little out of hand," he said looking at Sakura, Tomoyo, and Nakura. They just looked down with a blush of embarrassment.  
  
"What is it that you both have to tell us?" Yue asked. None of them knew when he transformed (expect for maybe Eriol), but he did. "I assume that it is a matter of importance or you wouldn't be looking as grave as you are now Touya."  
  
Touya sighed. "Everybody, Eriol and I have a lot to explain to you all. So please do not interrupt and save your questions for later. It will save time and if you kept listening, then some of your questions maybe answered while we explain. Everyone agree?"  
  
Everyone in the room expect Eriol and Touya, considered those words. As it was right now, they wanted to ask about a million questions, but resolved to hold them for later. Finally they all agreed.  
  
"Okay," Eriol began, "This all started several years ago. Months after Sakura passed my test. It was during the time when you, Sakura, decided that you wanted to lead a normal life, partly because of the much added weight of school work, clubs, cheerleading, and you're many, many friends. You just didn't have the time for the Cards as you use to. Maybe you didn't want to make time."  
  
Kero started to protest. "Kero, I said don't interrupt," Touya said with a hard voice. This stopped Kero in midair.  
  
"As I was saying, Sakura, we made the mistake of letting you have your wish. We never told what the true purpose of what it is of being the Card Mistress or what it really means. I guess we all were just too selfish because we all wanted to see you happy. We didn't want to force you to do something that you didn't want to do. But we realize now that that we should have told you the importance of it."  
  
"But," Touya continued. "We also didn't tell you this before also because we knew that if we told you this, you would rethink about it and choose to do what you should have done. Not for yourself, but for us. Because we wanted you to. We wanted you to do something for yourself, not for us. So Eriol, Spinel, Nakura, Kero, and Yue all battled the sorcerers that you should have battled. But we never considered about what to do about the Card's Master's destiny."  
  
"My des-"Sakura started but was interrupted by Eriol.  
  
"The reason why the Cards were made was so that they would aid in the battle against demons. You see Sakura, I, or rather Clow Reed, created the Clow Cards to stop the demons from coming into this realm. This will happen every time a new Master of the Cards is chosen."  
  
"Why-"Tomoyo started but Eriol interrupted her as well.  
  
"It is because of balance. One born with great power would be born within every century or two. When the Master is born, the veil to the demonic plane will thin out. Until the Master or Mistress is of their height of power, the veil won't be torn. When it is, some demons will come out and try to retake this world. It is the Card's Master's duty to stop those who escaped and repair the veil."  
  
"Why can't you just make the veil stronger?" Wakari asked quickly before Eriol or Touya could stop him.  
  
"Because," Touya answered, "the veil was made of a completely different kind of power. It shouldn't even be called magic. You have to understand that we as mortals have no right to completely force all demons away from here. We may force *some* back to where they came from, but this realm was their home for far longer than it was for humans. Demons and angels, as we call both existences, have lived on this realm since it was first made. They both lived here for maybe billions of years. Nobody really knows why they don't live here as they use to or what happened. All we know for sure is that there was a war between those two."  
  
"And the angels won. Just like all the stories about creation," Wakari smiled proudly knowing what happened in the end.  
  
Touya frowned. Eriol continued, "Maybe that's what happened. Maybe the wizards know. They are the keepers of knowledge and protectors of all forms of life. Anyway, we don't have the power to make the veil stronger. The structure of the veil is completely different from anything humans have ever seen and probably will ever see. Attempts to make the veil stronger have gone unsuccessfully resulting in no change on the veil at all. Even observation spells and structural spells have resulted with no information about the veil.  
  
The immortals won't help strengthen the veil either and the wizards and witches told us to leave it as it is and that the only thing we can do is repair it. They have an annoying habit of questioning all that you were taught and believe in if it is actually right, especially wizards. Never get into a word spar with them. You'd never win. I remember when Clow was younger and he asked a wizard why we couldn't just force all demons to where they came from or kill them all. The wizard said, 'Would you ever give your home that you lived in for most of you life to someone else so easily?' From then on I, or he, began to question morals, and so created the Clow Cards, which are now Sakura Cards."  
  
"So that's how the Clow Cards came to be," Tomoyo said with a slight awe in her voice.  
  
Sakura looked thoughtful. 'So all this time, the Cards had a purpose. *I* had a purpose. And I wanted to let it all go. To let it slip away.' She thought.  
  
"Eriol-kun, its tonight right?" her head was down and her bangs covered her eyes. "Tonight I have to face the demons and seal them away until the next Master is chosen. What do I have to do?" There was determination in her eyes when she looked up. A bright determination that shone with the will to repent for a pass mistake. Too bad that she wouldn't get to fight the demons though.  
  
"Eh, Sakura-chan, you won't be fighting any demons," Eriol said with a sheepish smile.  
  
There was silence in the room, then a "Hoe!!" and some "Nani!!"  
  
"Hold up!" Kero said, "We know that Sakura has to fight the demons and we should have told her before too. So you guys told her and she is prepared to fight them. She is willing to save us all from their evil clutches and go kick some demon ass! And now you're telling that she –won't- be fight demons? Then what was the point of telling us all of this!!"  
  
"So we could tell her about tonight," Touya said.  
  
Everyone looked at him. He was looking out the window as if trying to look for something that was not there.  
  
"The demons were sent back years ago," he said.  
  
"By who?" Yue asked.  
  
"Li Syaoran."  
  
Everyone had their eyes wide open in disbelief. But as for Spinel and Nakura, their eyes were open in realization. Their faces paled and their hearts started to beat a little faster.  
  
"How is that possible!?" Kero yelled out.  
  
"Syaoran had to pay the price for taking someone's destiny and fulfilling it for them. The direct descendents of Clow Reed are dead," Eriol impassively said.  
  
Everyone gasped. Nakura and Spinel closed their eyes. They knew what happened. They had felt it, the unbalanced of the line of Clow. The legacy of Clow Reed was failed. It would soon end.  
  
"But... but Li-kun," Tomoyo stammered out. "I saw Li-kun about two years ago. He can't be dead."  
  
"What!?" Eriol and Touya yelled out. "How come you didn't tell us?"  
  
"I don't know. It's like I forgot about it and then some how remembered just now," she said. "Did I see the ghost of Li-kun?"  
  
"I don't think you did," Eriol thoughtfully said.  
  
"So... Syaoran-kun isn't dead?" Sakura hopefully asked.  
  
"I don't think dead is the right term for it."  
  
Sakura let out a relieved sigh. "At least he isn't dead." Eriol and Touya inwardly flinched.  
  
"But why didn't he come here and tell us what happened? Or at least phoned?"  
  
"Sakura-chan," Nakura began, "Syaoran would have been named head of the Li Clan. He would have a million responsibilities to do and a million more the get the Li Clan back and running. It wasn't on the news what happened because the Clan wanted to keep it private. And, many of the indirect descendents would have wanted to move back to the estate and land to give support to Syaoran and to help get the Li Clan running again. There were many direct descendents and there is about twice as much indirect ones, if not more. It would take years to get the Clan back to its feet and running. Remember, the Li Clan was the most powerful Clan in the world and an old one at that. Not one of the oldest, but an old one."  
  
"But he could have called me," Sakura said almost tearfully. She felt betrayed that he didn't tell her or even visit her in all these years. She suddenly felt something that she never really felt before. She felt jealous. She was jealous of Tomoyo that Syaoran went to see her and not Sakura. She didn't like the feeling. It twisted her stomach and made her want to glare at Tomoyo, to which she pressed down the temptation. Wakari wrapped his arms around her in comfort.  
  
Tomoyo, sensing that her best friend felt displeased with her, looked at Sakura sadly and sent her an apologetic look. Sakura shook her head and sent her an apologetic look right back. Tomoyo smiled at her. Just like Sakura, to think that it was her own fault for something that she couldn't control, like her feelings.  
  
"We have to talk about the event that is going to happen tonight," Yue said after about 20 minutes.  
  
"Sakura-chan, are you ready?" Tomoyo asked.  
  
"Hai," she replied back. "Tell me what I need to know."  
  
Eriol took a deep breathe and began, "Touya's and my job is to give you the basic information. You'll get the rest of it later. Tonight is called the Trail. Instead of the judge, the position is called the Head. The Head will be the on to test you and pass judgment on you. We are called the Adherenters. We are your supporters and give you advice before the Trial. We are also the ones to give you some background information. We can't to tell you everything because we are not allowed to and because we don't know very much to begin with. Then there is the Commencer. The Commencer is the one who is against you. They are like the opposition and we are your defenders. Only, in the Trail, you don't state your case and talk, you fight."  
  
"The point of this Trail is to see if you are worthy of being the Card's Mistress in a way," Touya said.  
  
"Now hold up," Kero interjected, "Sakura proved that she was the Card's Mistress when she faced Yue and won. And she also faced the reincarnation of Clow Reed and won as well. Doesn't that already prove her worthy enough?"  
  
"Enough for the mortals yes," Eriol answered, "But not for immortals and those not human. Remember, the ultimate purpose of being the Card's Master was to bring back the demons to where they came from and to repair the veil. Sakura did neither, so in the eyes of the immortals and those not humans, she has yet to prove herself."  
  
"Sakura doesn't need to prove herself to these people!" Tomoyo said almost angrily.  
  
"Half the reason for the Trail is to prove to them that Sakura is worthy of being the Card's Mistress, the other half is to prove it to herself. Am I right Sakura-chan?"  
  
Everyone looked at Sakura. She knew what he meant. For the past 6 years or so, Sakura felt like she wasn't the right person for being the Card's Mistress. At first, she didn't think about it much, but lately, she wasn't so sure. She loved the Card's yes, but she didn't know *why* she was chosen. At first, she thought it was because she was the half daughter of Clow Reed and he gave them to her because he wanted the Cards to stay within the family. But then why didn't he just give them to Syaoran instead? She became confused and at lost. She didn't tell Kero or Eriol her thoughts because she didn't want them to worry about her. She didn't want them to think that she didn't want to be the Card's Mistress. She did. She loved the Cards.  
  
Sakura took the Cards out from her bag and look at them all. She will do it. She will go through with this. She will prove to the immortals and those not human that she *is* the right person to own the Cards. For once, she was going to be selfish to want something and keep it. She wasn't going to let someone say that she isn't fit to be the Cards' Mistress. She was also going to prove to the Cards, her friends, and herself.  
  
"Hai, you're right. I will prove myself to them and myself," she said with finality in her voice. Everyone looked at her with awe.  
  
"So, she's finally growing up," a voice whispered to himself/herself outside the door. No one heard him/her or knew that she/he was on the other side of the door listening in to their conversation. "The question is, she ready?"  
  
______________________________  
  
Time does not wait for us to catch up. Time does not speed up for us at our will. Time goes it own leisure pace without thought. Time is neither our friend nor our enemy. Time is its own companion and travel guide.  
  
AN: Sorry for the long delay. I have hardly any time to do this as before. So please be patient. And thank you. Oh and, please excuse me for my mistakes because I didn't check and edit it. 


	3. Introductions

"Okay, lets go over this one more time," Sakura said, "The Head will be the one to test me, the one who I have to fight and try to beat, and the one who will pass judgment on me. The Adherenters will be onii-chan and Eriol- kun. They will be the ones in favor for me. The Commencer is the one against me. His name is Armen, a Fallen. Then there is the Neutralist, he or she will be on neither side, neither for me nor against me."  
  
"Right," Kero said. They were all in one of Tomoyo's big limousine heading to the heart of Tokyo. There was about an hour's worth of sun. Wakari was the one driving. Tomoyo had to order Yana to stay at the house because they didn't want to reveal their secret to her just yet. They also didn't want to bring her along just to ditch her later in Tokyo. But she did put up quiet a fight when they told her that Tomoyo would be going with them without her and not telling her where to. They didn't want her to follow them and Eriol had to put an illusion spell on the car just to incase.  
  
"Onii-chan, Eriol-kun? What's the point of an Adherenter, Commencer, and Neutralist if I am only going to be facing the Head?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Yeah," Tomoyo agreed. "I've been wondering the same thing."  
  
"To tell you guys the truth, I really don't know why myself either," Touya answered looking away from the car window.  
  
"I don't know the real reason either myself," Eriol said from besides Tomoyo. "But I suspect it is because the Head can't see from all view points about you are the battle while battling you at the same time. He may miss something or never consider something about your fighting skills, personality, or determination that the others may pick up on. They always give different kinds of opinions because of who they are and what they know. Which brings me to the main function of them and why I believe that is their purpose, we tell the Head about what they learned about you. They give you guidance. Well, not really guidance per say, more like truths."  
  
"Truths?" Sakura asked.  
  
"We're here," Wakari called out from the front as the limousine stopped. Everyone got out of the car and looked up at the Tokyo Tower against the nearly setting sun. All around them, they could hear the buzz of the city of Tokyo. So full of life. Kids running around in circles, chasing each other and a lone figure behind them yelling that it was time for them to go back home, a mother pushing a stroller with the baby crying, a group of teens making conversations and laughing loudly, and several other people talking on cell phones, either laughing or yelling. Sakura felt relived that it wasn't like her dreams. 'But for how long will it last?' she wondered.  
  
"Each one of us tells you at the very least two truths. Usually, most tell two truths," Eriol said while Sakura took up the sights and sounds of Tokyo.  
  
"What for?"  
  
"Something along the lines of advice. Either advice to help you during the Trial or help you fail."  
  
Sakura turned sharply to look at him. Tomoyo, Kero (who had an illusion spell on so that anyone but them could see him as well as Suppi-chan), Yukito and Wakari had shocked expression on their faces.  
  
"Help her fail?" Kero voiced out what they all had in their minds. "What do you mean by that? I thought they are supposed to give her advice!"  
  
"Eriol said that they are not really advice, Kero," Touya said. "They are truths. Besides, what good is a Commencer when he gives her advice to help her win the Trial when he is suppose to be against her?"  
  
"Point taken."  
  
"But you also said that the advice is really truths," Yukito said. "It sounds like a double meaning."  
  
Eriol answered, "You are right. It is a bit like a double meaning. You see, the first truth will be their own truths about Sakura-chan herself."  
  
"Their own truths?" Wakari asked.  
  
"Yes, their own truths. You see, many times the truth is about perspective. What may be true for one person may not be true for another."  
  
"Huh? But the truth is truth. If a statement is true, then it's true in all perspective," Tomoyo said confused.  
  
"Not always, and only sometimes it is," Touya said. "Take that man over there," he pointed to a man walk in front of them with a child holding his hand. He had a 'no nonsense' face. "He most likely believes that there is no such thing as magic and that would be his truth. You on the other hand, Tomoyo know there is magic, all around you. That is your truth."  
  
"But that's because it is the real truth. There is such thing as magic and he may be just too blind to believe," Wakari said.  
  
"Then you are implying that many humans are blind," Eriol said. "But does that make them wrong in believing that there is no such thing as magic?"  
  
"No, it doesn't. But I still don't fully understand it."  
  
"Well, I have an American coin in my pocket," Eriol fished out a penny and held it up so that the others could see one side of it. "Pretend for a moment that this coin is a true statement. You only see one side of it, ne?" There were an uninformed hai's. "From your perspective, you can see only one side, the tail's side of the coin and so think that it's the only statement that is true."  
  
"But Eriol, we -know- that there is another side of the coin," Wakari said.  
  
"Yes, but pretend that there isn't."  
  
"But it is a coin. Coins have flat surfaces so there would always be two sides."  
  
"Okay, now you are skewering up the whole point of this."  
  
"Eriol-kun, why is this side of the coin called tails?" Sakura asked.  
  
"I really don't know Sakura-chan. It's what the Americans call that side of the coin," Eriol answered.  
  
"It's a building. How can the Americans call it tails?"  
  
"Again, I do not know the answer. You are going to have to ask the Americans."  
  
"Americans are weird," Touya muttered.  
  
"Well at least the other side of the coin is called heads. It has a head on the back," Nakura said.  
  
"Makes sense," Spinel said.  
  
"So the great and mighty Eriol finally comes across a question that he does not know the answer to. Thought I'd never see the day," Kero said. Eriol ignored him.  
  
"So, do you all understand now?" Eriol asked everyone.  
  
There was a course of Hai's, but Eriol knew that they didn't fully understand the true meaning of it. 'Oh well, many things were not meant to be fully understood by humans,' Eriol thought.  
  
"Remember Sakura, it is their truths. It may not be true for you, but don't think of it as something that it is the complete and whole truth. Sometimes they don't say the whole thing. But don't dwell on them during the whole Trial. If you do, you will fail." Eriol said after a while.  
  
"Hai," Sakura replied.  
  
"Now, the second truth will be a real truth where there is many, many understandings about it," Touya said. "You may deny like many people do, but it is in fact the truth. This is where the phrase 'the truth hurts' comes from. This truth also depends on each individual. So it may be true for some, and not true for others. The first truth will be before the Trial begins. The second will be after the Trial."  
  
"Okay, now that we established the stuff about the truths, who will be the Head and Neutralist?" Nakura asked jumping on Touya.  
  
Touya made a grunting sound and tried to pry Nakura off of him. Too bad for Touya that Nakura was not human, so she was super strong, thus, he couldn't get her off him. Yukito tried to talk her out of holding Touya in what seemed like a death grip, but of to no use, while the rest of them sweat dropped. Spinel even tried too help, but like Yukito, to no use.  
  
When Nakura finally let go of Touya, he said, "Would you stop doing that? I feel like that you're going to absorb my powers again." He glared at her.  
  
Nakura pouted. "But Touya-kun, I'm not absorbing your powers like last time. I just like to hug you and watch you squirm." She smiled brightly at him.  
  
"Touya, just let her hug you. It's not that bad," Yukito told Touya, trying to calm him down. Also, so he didn't want Touya to do anything rash to his girlfriend. Well, she did have a female form and his male.  
  
Touya turned his glare from Nakura to Yukito, who in returned, backed up a step from the glaring man. Nakura moved from Touya's side to hug Yukito around the waist.  
  
"Anyways, we don't know who the Neutralist is yet. We do know who the Head is though, but we are not allowed to tell you," Eriol said, breaking of Touya's glare from the couple.  
  
"Why not?" Sakura asked.  
  
"He or she will introduce themselves later when it is time," Eriol said.  
  
"Then let's start with the introductions," a voice said from behind.  
  
Everyone turned around and saw a man. An ordinary, plain looking man. Nothing about him made him stand out from other people. Black hair, brown eyes, medium height of about 5.4, and wearing loose blue jeans and a dark red shirt. He stood up straight with confidence and looked to be comfortable while everyone else looking at him like he had seven heads. But the thing that pop onto everyone's mind was that; he is just too ordinary, too normal. An everyday, run in the mill human being.  
  
"Umm, sure, please, introduce yourself," Tomoyo said uncertain. He had to be human. Nothing about him made him seem like anything else. Yet, why was there uncertainty in the air?  
  
The unknown person smirked and did a slight bow. "Why, I am Armen. Once one of the Virtues and now Commencer in the Trial of Kinomoto Sakura."  
  
His voice was light, and just like his appearance, was too ordinary to be anything but human. But at his words, everyone tensed up and Yukito and Nakura transformed into Yue and Ruby Moon. Kero, Yue, and Suppi-chan brought up their guard and mentally prepared for an attack by the Fallen. Even though they knew they would be lucky if they manage to hit him at least once. Nakura went to stand in front of Wakari while Touya, Kero, and Yue stood in front of Sakura and Eriol in front of Tomoyo.  
  
Ever since Armen voiced his true being, his aura was revealed to the mortals and immortal guardians (expect for Tomoyo and Wakari who couldn't since chi). It was dark and cried out of a once being pure and holy, but refused to be so again. His eyes spoke for thousands of years of existing, but also told of lies to confuse and bring down the guard of adversaries. One couldn't fully trust what he said while looking into his eyes, because then he could see your soul and maybe your weakness. Especially mortals.  
  
"You're early. It isn't time to begin yet," Touya growled.  
  
"Isn't time yet?" Armen laughed. "My dear mortals, it is nightfall. Now we only have to wait for the Head and Neutralist, and the Trial will begin."  
  
True to his words, it was night. The sky was black with no sun in sight. There was no moon because there would be no moon that night. The stars could hardly be seen because of the lights of Tokyo made the stars seem dim in the night sky.  
  
"What... How... How?!" Kero stammered out. "There should be about 30 more minutes of sunlight left! What did you do you stupid, God for saken angel?!"  
  
Suddenly, Armen was right in front of Kero with a dangerous look on his face, and then he was back to where he was standing from the start. No one seemed to notice what had happened except for Kero. Kero became afraid. Afraid of Armen and afraid for Sakura. He was only a little bit glad that Sakura would not be facing Armen. But he was not glad for himself because he seemed to have gotten to Armen's bad side and couldn't help but feel that he should -not- sleep that night, or the next week or two for that matter.  
  
"Why Cerberus, I did nothing. Maybe the time flew by without you noticing. You know how time tends to do that a lot. Or maybe you were just too caught up on your dear Sakura-chan to notice what time it was. But I do not like to be insulted by creatures I have no favor for. So I suggest that you watch what you say next time. And try not to get yourself too tired for a week or two. Terribly things can happen to those who are not careful." This only confirmed the suspicion that Kero really should not be sleeping for the next two weeks.  
  
Yue, sensing the conflict going between Armen and Kero, looked at Kero with sympathy and with a promise in his eyes to help.  
  
"So, mortals, guardians, are you all ready for what is going to happen?" Armen asked cheerfully.  
  
They all shifted uncomfortably. What were they suppose to do? Start a casual conversation with one who is supposed to be considered evil? One who supposedly betrayed the Holy light and became dark. They all felt unease around him. But all they could do is wait for the other two and hope they will be there any second now.  
  
Any second now.  
  
Any second now.  
  
"I can't take it anymore!!!" Kero yelled, putting his paws in the air and bring them hard to the ground.  
  
The others jumped back and Sakura yelled, "Kero-chan!"  
  
"Gomen Sakura-chan. But I'm tried of all this waiting! When will they get here?!" Kero aggravated said.  
  
"Cerberus, it has only been about 10 minutes," Ruby Moon said.  
  
"Yes, but it has been so long!" Kero whined.  
  
"Patience, Cerberus. After all, patience is a virtue," Armen smirked.  
  
Kero growled at him in response and said, "Oh, like you of all people would know."  
  
Armen looked at Kero dangerously again. Kero gulped and knew that he had gotten on the Fallen's bad side again. Looks like he wouldn't be sleeping for three weeks now. If he kept this up, he wouldn't be sleeping for a whole month.  
  
"Maa maa, Kero-chan. I'm sure that they will be here soon," Sakura said trying to calm Kero down. She was oblivious to the exchange of both immortals. Even more so to the Fallen's look on Kero. Mainly because the Fallen meant for only Kero to see and to receive it, no one else.  
  
"Uh, Armen-san, is you don't mind me asking, I would like to ask you a question," Wakari asked the Fallen nervously.  
  
The Fallen smirked and nodded at Wakari's request.  
  
"Well, it just that, you look... you look... well you're appearance is just so... so... plain," Wakari said, weary that Armen might take offense in it.  
  
"I was wondering when someone was going to ask that," Armen said.  
  
"Well, in all movies and books, they always described angels and demons who take the forms of humans to be enormously beautiful. We all expected you be, well, beautiful, handsome," Tomoyo said for Wakari who lost his nerve.  
  
"Mortal authors who know nothing about us all have the same idea bout us. If we were all exceedingly beautiful, we would stand out wouldn't we? People would think that there was something about us that would us so special and would watch our every movement. They would be attracted to our looks and follow us everywhere. Then when will do our jobs? What we were made to do?" Armen said.  
  
"You could use your powers to make sure that no one follows you," Wakari said regaining his nerves.  
  
"Smart man, but not smart enough. People would notice something different. If all of us very beautiful, as you say, then many people would notice us. But, if we were so plain that we looked dull, they would ignore us. We would be easily trusted," he said, sounding like the whole thing was a game and that he just explained the rules.  
  
The others shifted even more. Even Yue and Ruby Moon appeared to be slightly shaken. They had just gotten a glimpsed of how a demon, or Fallen, works. Eriol and Touya exchanged glances. He was dangerous. There was no mistaking it. In their eyes they had the same question; what had they gotten themselves into?  
  
"Um, Armen-san? Do you know who the Head or Neutralist is?" Sakura asked. Sweet, innocent Sakura. Always thinking that everyone had at least a little bit of good in them and is really nice deep down inside them and that if you look hard enough, they would bring that part of them out more. In many cases, that is true. For mortals. For those who are not even humans, that's a completely different story.  
  
Unfortunately for Sakura, Armen did not take kindly to innocents. He looked down on them. But, he decided to hold his nasty retort to Sakura and save his words until the Trail. Until then, he decided to act as a nice Fallen and then let her know exactly what he thinks of her when the Trial begins. That would put a knife to her heart.  
  
"Yes, I do know who they are. Would you like to know Sakura-chan?" Armen smiled sweetly at her, to which she returned the smile. The others glared at him. Touya seethed when he called her chan.  
  
"Don't call her Sakura-chan!" Touya yelled at the Fallen before Sakura could answer. The Fallen just smirked again, amused by his over protectiveness over Sakura.  
  
"Why not? You are not Sakura," Armen said. He smiled sweetly at Sakura again. "Can I call you Sakura-chan?"  
  
Sakura nodded. Touya growled. He trusted Armen as much as the chances of him killing off the Fallen angel. Sakura didn't know how he became a Fallen, and if she knew before the all of this began, she might have been more cautious.  
  
"Enough with these games Armen," Eriol seriously said. There was a threat behind his words.  
  
"Who's playing games, half soul?" Armen asked, a little too innocently.  
  
Eriol growled low in his throat in respond just like Touya had done. They may be on the same assembly for the Trial, but that did not mean that they had to like each other.  
  
"Half soul?" Tomoyo asked.  
  
"Koishii, you know that I am the half reincarnation of Clow Reed, ne? Well the other half of me is another soul. My soul," Eriol answered.  
  
"Two souls? How is that possible?" Sakura asked.  
  
"It's complicated. I'll tell you all later. Now, we have to worry for you Sakura-chan." Sakura nodded, accepting Eriol explanation for later.  
  
"So, who is going to be the Neutralist?" Sakura asked, breaking the silence.  
  
"I am," a voice said from behind Armen. They all turned to where the voice came from and were surprised to see Yana.  
  
"Yana-san!" Sakura and Tomoyo said in surprise.  
  
"Yana," Touya whispered. "What... you are... Neutralist?"  
  
"Hai. I'm the Neutralist. I was one of the perfect candidates to be one," Yana said.  
  
"What? You knew all along whom we were didn't you?" Kero said.  
  
"More than 'all along' Kero. I knew whom all of you are long before I became Tomoyo's personal body guard," Yana impassively said.  
  
"Since when?" Eriol asked. He felt a blow to his pride that he didn't sense who she was sooner.  
  
"You'll find out when," Yana said again emotionless.  
  
"But we thought you were our friend! How could not take Sakura's side on this!?" Wakari yelled out in disbelief. He had taken a liking to Yana. Not in a romantic way, but as a really good friend. He felt his trust in her shattered.  
  
"I am sorry if you all feel as if I betrayed your trust in me. But I was not allowed to you who I was before the Trial," Yana said.  
  
"Why not?" Tomoyo asked. She too, felt as if she was betrayed. She looked over to Touya and saw that he was sadden by this turn of event.  
  
"It was against the rules," that was Yana would say.  
  
"But what I don't understand is," Eriol said, half to himself, "Is that you of all people would be picked to be the Neutralist. You are a good friend of Sakura-chan, so how could you not pick Sakura's side? And more importantly, how did you get picked to be the Neutralist?"  
  
"Who are you Yana," Touya asked. He looked straight into her eyes. Searching her. He knew that she was hiding something else.  
  
Yana flinched inside, but didn't let it show. "You will know when the Head is here and when we have made formal introductions."  
  
"Speaking of which, when is the Head going to be here?" Spinel asked.  
  
"Right now." A voice said from behind Yana.  
  
Tomoyo and Sakura gasped. It was Li Syaoran. Wakari didn't recognize him since he only saw pictures of Syaoran when he was 10 years old. Everyone else knew that he was going to be the Head from a message that he sent them the other day, but didn't tell Sakura. They wanted Syaoran to tell her.  
  
"Syaoran-kun," Sakura whispered. Wakari looked closely at Syaoran when he heard Sakura.  
  
Tomoyo noticed that the others did not look the least bit surprised. "You knew!" she accused. "You knew who the Head was going to be, but didn't tell us!"  
  
"I'm sorry Tomoyo. But we aren't allowed to tell you," Eriol apologized.  
  
"You and Touya knew. But that doesn't explain for Yue, Kero, Ruby Moon, and Spinel," she said. Sakura listened with only one ear. She was too busy looking at Syaoran to really care what they said.  
  
"Syaoran," Sakura said one more time before she ran up to him a hugged him hard.  
  
Syaoran stood there a bit awkwardly before encircling his arms around her. Then, he pushed her away gently. He gave a gentle shove for her to go back to the group who were trying to explain to Tomoyo about the note that they received from him while Tomoyo taped the hug and listened to them at the same time. Wakari just watched Sakura hugged her long time friend and made a little smile.  
  
"Good evening everyone," Syaoran said. His voice, deep from over the years. He also grew taller, about 5.11 or 6 feet. "It is good to see all of you again. But it is now time to start the formal introductions, and then we will start the Trail. After the Trial is over, you may ask as many questions as you want."  
  
"You certainly waste no time in saying hello after not seeing most of us for about 13 years," Kero said. Syaoran ignored him and continued on.  
  
"I was known as Li Syaoran to you all years go. Now I am Li Xiao Lang, head of the Li Clan, one of the Seraphim as mortals may call us, and now, Head of the Trial of Kinomoto Sakura."  
  
When they heard 'one of the Seraphim', they looked sharply at him. What did he mean by that? Seraphim were angels, the highest ranking angel. To be an angel, one would have to be.... Dead. But before they could think any further about it or say anything, Eriol and Touya began to speck. They didn't even notice the two move in front of them to where Xiao Lang, Armen and Yana were.  
  
"I am Hiragizawa Eriol, half reincarnation of Clow Reed and half father of Kinomoto Touya and Sakura. I am the first Adherenter of Kinomoto Sakura," Eriol said with just as much authority as Xiao Lang, but with less force.  
  
"I am Kinomoto Touya, brother of Kinomoto Sakura, I am the second Adherenter of the Trial of Kinomoto Sakura," Touya said.  
  
"I am Armen, Fallen of the Virtues. I am the Commencer of the Trial of Kinomoto Sakura," Armen said. His mirth gone, on his face was the look of a Fallen. Hard, cold, emotionless, menace, no patient, and no sympathy. Sakura shivered as she looked at his face.  
  
It was Yana's turn. An orange, red glow surrounded her, and then drained away until it left another young woman. Gone were the brown hair and eyes women. Instead, a long, black hair and ruby red women stood in her place. Her robes of orange and yellow, similar to the one worn at the age of 10, but with the ends a little bit longer. Like shorts. There were small bells at the end of her sleeves that made a soft chime every time she moved them.  
  
"I am Li Meilin, Sentinel from this realm. Neutralist of the Trial of Kinomoto Sakura," she said. Her voice was richer than it had been before.  
  
Everyone looked at her stunned and surprised. She has once been dead. Touya couldn't take his eyes off of her. Meilin did not look at him. She was afraid to. She did not want to break down and cry an endless apology to him. Not now. Now was the time of the Trial.  
  
"Kinomoto Sakura," Xiao Lang said in his authority voice, "You are trialed for not using your powers, mind, body, and spirit to defend this realm. You will now battle me to show your worth and prove yourself to who you really are. You will have no help. The error that was made will be fixed. Let the battle begin!" 


	4. Battle

AN: first I would have to say is this: I made this fic because I have read too many stories out there that is all Sakura centered and that she is the most powerful sorcerer that ever was and that she has defeated the most powerful evil enemy thanks to her kindness of heart and EVERYBODY loves her and that she is the most beautiful girl ever and the most sweetest and innocent and blah blah blah blah. Yeah, you get my point.  
  
Personally, I love Syaoran better. I'm not trying to put her down or anything, it just that there are too many fics out there that portray her as that. This is just a What If kind of deal.  
  
And one more thing, I needed to have a break during the month of May because I had too many assignments to do. So, I'm sorry for the delay. And then there were exams.

-----------------------------------------------------  
  
"Let the Trial begin!" Xiao Lang shouted. He started to float in the air.  
  
Sakura stared in awe and then wondered what she was supposed to do. She turned around to look for the three coordinators of the Trial and saw them too, floating upwards in the air. Then she looked down and saw that she too, was in the air. She was about one foot above the ground really and she wasn't going higher like the rest of them were.  
  
"Hoe..." she said. She swung her legs back and forth a little as if to propel herself higher.  
  
"Key that hides the forces of darkness! Show your true identity! By the covenant, I, Eriol, command you! Release!!" Eriol yelled out his incantation to release his huge staff.  
  
"Sakura-chan, what's wrong?" Tomoyo asked. Everyone involved in the Trial was about 30 feet in the air and floating higher, expect for Sakura.  
  
"I don't know," Sakura answered back.  
  
"Maybe you're suppose to float with them," Kero said.  
  
"Float with them..."  
  
'Fly with us...' a voice said in her mind. She looked up at Xiao Lang. He gave no indication that he had done anything.  
  
"Fly?" she asked the air. Her eyes opened wide in realization. "Fly!" She hasty took out her magic key that she always wore.  
  
"Key which holds the power of the stars, reveal thy true form before me by the contract, I, Sakura, command you... Release!" she shouted. The key of Sakura glowed and than grew bigger, inch by inch. Soon enough, it transformed into a pink staff with a small star on the end and with wings on the side.  
  
Up in the air in the sidelines, Eriol sweat dropped. "Ano... the Staff of the Stars is still small..."  
  
"Now that is embarrassing," Armen said from across Eriol. They were all spared out in the air. Eriol and Touya were further to the right of Xiao Lang, Armen further to the left, and Meilin further back. Touya shot Armen a glare, who in return, smirked.  
  
Sakura took out the Fly and tossed it into the air. "Fly! Release and dispel!" (AN: I don't remember that exact translation of it. Maybe that's it.) A pair of white wings adored her back and then she started to fly towards Xiao Lang.  
  
----- Tomoyo and the others -----  
  
"Fly card? I though that she was going to use the Float Card because the others are just floating into the air," Tomoyo asked confused.  
  
She watched how Sakura suddenly grew angelic wings on her back and started to fly swiftly and non-too fast in the air.  
  
"Perhaps they want her to speed it up a little bit because she took a while to figure out what was going on and what to do next," Wakari offered, though he was just as confused as she was.  
  
"Maybe it's part of the test?" Tomoyo asked.  
  
"Having her float about a foot in the air is part of the test?" he demanded, but not in an angered way.  
  
"They could have warned her about that. Or at least tell her what to do or what to expect," Kero practically sneered.  
  
"Wasn't you who always taught Sakura-chan to expect the unexpected?" Tomoyo said amused.  
  
Kero blushed. "Well... I... I just thought that they could have at least told her about this so she could be a little bit more prepared."  
  
Tomoyo just chuckled a bit. Yue then said, "Even if she did know, it would not have helped Sakura-san very much." His eyes remained contently on Sakura.  
  
True to his words, there was a suddenly scream coming out of Sakura's month just as Kero was about to reply. But the words died from his mouth as he and Yue unfolded their wings and started to fly towards their mistress.  
  
----- Eriol and Touya -----  
  
Expect the unexpected was right.  
  
It was a concept that Kero had taught Sakura since the first time that they had meet. But Eriol had to wonder, if Sakura fully realized what it truly meant. To expect something that you never thought would happen. Sometimes it seemed like she did. But the other times... There were too many occurrences that Sakura did not expect an event to happen, but it did. Was she ready to really expect the unexpected?  
  
Touya heard what Kero and Yue had said as well. And in his mind, time seemed to stop for only a moment. He knew that Eriol must be contemplating about what they had said. Was she ready? Did she deserve it? Was she good enough? Was she really meant to have it?  
  
So many unanswered questions. So little answers. But the one question that stuck out for Touya was: Did she give enough?  
  
Then, both men heard a young woman's scream in the air.  
  
"Armen..."  
  
And then they prepare to give the Healing Truth.  
  
----- Armen -----  
  
Moments before Kero complain about not telling Sakura about what is to be expected (which should be anything), Armen was sorting in his mind, if you could call it, on what to show Sakura. The First Truth. His own truth about her. He almost laughed.  
  
Oh, there was just too many to pick from.  
  
Should he just start with her infuriating, perky personality? Maybe he could start with annoying habit of always looking at the bright side. Or that she thinks that everything will turn out just fine and great. Or that she actually believes that every person and living creature has a good side, and if you just look hard enough, they'll turn out to be one just nice, loving person. The idea made is stomach turn and he gave a slight frown.  
  
Stupid, naive little girl. She knew nothing about life or what you could really do with life. Or more to the point, what life could really do to you.  
  
Innocent. Yes. Innocence. It was perfect. Her innocence was one of her biggest traits and probably the best thing about her. It drew people to her. It was also a big part in the main source of her power, the stars. Make her faultier in her principle of her innocence that she does not consciously know that is a big part of her, and she'd be a venerable target to break.  
  
Not even the "Seraphim" would say that he broke It's rules. He didn't directly attack her, nor did he openly try to kill her. So he would do nothing wrong.  
  
So he started to concentrate to tell her his truth. Through his mind to hers. And then, he felt her pain and heard her scream.  
  
----- Sakura -----  
  
It was so unexpected. So weird. And painful. Not the kind of pain that left you feeling numb and yet screaming out of your mind while seconds seemed like hours. It felt more like the kind of pain that was irritating and annoying. Like the kind of pain that you would get from a paper cut and it really stinks, even though it's such a little cut.  
  
But this paper cut was from her brain. So you could probably imagine what kind of pain Sakura was in. it actually felt like there was a paper cut in her brain.  
  
Then there was a voice. It sounded familiar, but it was obscured with the feeling of angry and hate towards, what it seemed liked, her. It forced her mouth to open wide and scream in pain for an ache that wasn't as painful as it really felt like. But even so, it hurt. But she could hear her own screams, and won't remember later that she was, for there was something else happing to her to occupy her thoughts for the moment.  
  
_'Innocence is a weak and pathetic thing. It is strong, yes, but not invincible. And easy to crush...'  
_  
Pain. Fury. Disappointment. Anger. Different types of emotion. Was this the Trial? It wasn't really about fighting someone who she still considered a friend, but to go through pain. Was this the Trial really about? Had she done something wrong? If she did, then she will fix it! Everything is fixable, and then they would all be friends in the end.  
  
She had to believe that everything is going to be alright in the end. Because it's suppose to be alright in the end, ne? Everything was created for good, but then something went wrong along the way. But everything will be fine once this was all over. It always will be fine from then on. So all she had to do was hold on.  
  
Then the pain stopped. Next thing she knew was that she was back on the ground with Touya and Eriol leaning over her. Her throat felt dry as if she'd been screaming or yelling for a while. But she couldn't remember if she had been screaming.  
  
"Hoe? What happened? Onii-chan?"  
  
"Something that we should have considered before has presented itself," Eriol answered instead of Touya.  
  
"Are you alright?" Touya said next.  
  
"Hai. I'm alright," she answered. "But what happened?"  
  
"Armen used too much force when he was telling you the first Truth," Eriol solemnly said.  
  
"Hoe?"  
  
"Expect the unexpected..." Touya muttered angrily.  
  
"Mistress, are you alright?" Yue asked. When Sakura looked up to see him, she was surprised to find him a couple of feet away. He wasn't next to her like Eriol and Touya were. Then she saw Kero next to him trying to get through what seemed like a barrier. Tomoyo and Wakari looked at her worriedly and had a helpless expression on their faces.  
  
'_That's because they are helpless,'_ Sakura thought. _'Helpless to help me. I can see it in their eyes. They're hurt.'  
_  
It hurt her. To see them hurt. She wanted them to not be hurt. To be happy and safe. She didn't want to see them hurt, especially for her. She wasn't the most important person in the world and didn't see herself to be the kindest. But she knew that they cared for her. And that made it all worth it.  
  
"Hai. I'm fine Yue. It's just like a bump on the head really. Please, don't worry too much about me everyone," she said as energetic as she could. But she didn't know that Eriol has healed the "wound" in her head and made her body recover from the shock.  
  
Kero stopped trying to get pass the barrier and nodded. He knew that if Sakura did not want them to worry about her openly like this, it just better to worry about her when she didn't have to worry about them worrying about her.  
  
"What happened?" Sakura asked again.  
  
"Armen used too much power," surprisingly, Meilin was the one who answered her.  
  
"What do you mean too much power?!" Kero practically yelled.  
  
"When telling the Truths, we use tell through our minds, not through simple words. Through feelings and expression, more then words," she explained.  
  
_'So that's what I was feeling before,'_ Sakura thought. _'The differences of emotion that contrasted each other were from Armen.'  
_  
She looked over to the Fallen who was still in the air, but a lot closer to the ground. His face was emotionless, and almost bored. Xiao Lang and Meilin were at the same level as him, with blank faces as well. No concerned, no worry. She swallowed hard.  
  
"You could have told us before this whole thing had started!" Kero yelled.  
  
"What ever happened to 'expect the unexpected'?" Armen said.  
  
Kero growled and Yue's aura had a dangerous feel to it. Suppi-chan and Nakuru just stood by and waited instructions form Eriol, though they knew that he won't be commanding them to fight this night.  
  
"Since the power of the using of Truth was too much for Sakura, we will no longer require that Sakura undergo the ceremony of the Ehwonessreta," Meilin said.  
  
"Ehhwon- eh?" Wakari asked baffled.  
  
"Truth of the mind to yours," Eriol translated.  
  
"Ohh," Wakari breathed out, but was still confused.  
  
"Anything else you would like to say that you haven't told us?" Kero spat out.  
  
Eriol just looked at him. Sakura would never know what kind of look Eriol sent Kero and Yue. But what ever it was, it worked. Kero and Yue backed away a few steps and let their angry aura calm. They just stood and watched to what was to come next.  
  
"But no more surprises. I'm starting to hate surprises," Kero grumbled.  
  
"Well, this is just fine and dandy, but if you all are finished being all goody-goody, we have a trial to actually start," Armen said almost sweetly.  
  
The others, save Sakura, glared.  
  
----- Armen -----  
  
_'What a weak little girl,'_ Armen thought to himself. He never suspected that.  
  
Oh, sure he knew that Sakura would feel pain. Not the kind of pain that would make you scream Bloody Mary or anything. Just one that would make a person feel irritated and annoyed. So, he gave her a 'little' push to make her scream for a bit. He also had to without a great amount of power when telling her one of his truths, but really. He didn't use that much power when he forced... I mean suggested for a scream from her lips.  
  
Was really his fault that she was just too weak to handle what he had to say?  
  
Was his fault that she couldn't live up to a title that she was chosen for?  
  
Really, they had nothing to mad at him for. It wasn't like he meant to bring great harm to her on purpose, though the idea did cross his mind. But at least she wasn't dead or suffering eternal pain for the rest of her life.  
  
See. She's walking on her own and calling the power of the Fly Card again. Oh look, she's even flying steadily as if nothing ever happened to her. So, why are the others so mad at him and are always glaring at him?  
  
Sakura looked at Armen with a cautious glance.  
  
Oh yes Sakura, be afraid. Be very afraid.  
  
----- Touya and Eriol -----  
  
"He needs to be watched," Eriol muttered as he and Touya risen to the air again.  
  
"He needs to be shot," Touya replied back. "Many, many, many times. Or better yet, he needs to be stabbed and cut into little pieces so small, that even Kami wouldn't recognize him."  
  
Eriol looked at him wryly. "Touya, now is no time to be so overprotective."  
  
"Overprotective?! You so what he did! He could have killed her! And now you just want me act like it never happened?!" Touya was infuriated.  
  
"Don't you think that I feel terrible about what happened as well? But I haven't forgotten why we are here as well. Acting so passionate as this will make us unqualified for what we were chosen for. And if we are not the Adherenceers, who will be? The Trial has to finish tonight. And I doubt that anyone would be free to replace us."  
  
Touya looked away. "I can't just sit here and watch."  
  
"But you must," Meilin said.  
  
Touya wouldn't even look at her.  
  
----- Sakura -----  
  
"Hoe!" Sakura yelled out as Xiao Lang missed her when she suddenly veered to the left.  
  
He quickly recovered and turned around to hit her again with a fist. Again and again, Sakura dodged left, then right, and then left again. His fists seemed to come over everywhere and Sakura didn't know how much more of ducking she can do.  
  
It started out when she was heading towards Xiao Lang again and very cautious of Armen. She knew better now then to be so friendly with the fallen angel. Apparently he wasn't as nice as when she first met him. Then all of a sudden, Xiao Lang came at her from the front and she barely made it in time to duck.  
  
He was fast. Too fast. She quickly shot down towards the ground in hopes of gaining more space between them so she could think for a moment. Soon she was flying 7 feet parallel to the ground and Xiao Lang still right behind her. She flew a bit higher to avoid a tree and then turned right so she wouldn't fly smack into another tree. Then she flew higher into the air.  
  
_Swoosh.  
_  
The sound of the air made while Xiao Lang made contact with the empty space where Sakura once was.  
  
Sakura wasted no time and flew down to the nearest building and let the Fly go.  
  
"Jump!" she screamed as her attacker's fist slammed into the building's roof, making a huge hole in it and many cracks.  
  
Soon Sakura found herself jumping from building to building as Xiao Lang heatedly pursued her. She thank all the gods above that she loved running so much and that she was a very active girl from the time she could walk until this point. She also thanked the gods that she was a cheerleader because she doubted that she would've kept on going right now because cheerleading was a very demanding sport. All the constant stomps and body movements for hours and hours, and not to mention the yelling encouragement for the home team.  
  
Xiao Lang seemed to be tired of chasing Sakura what it seemed like all around Tokyo, because he started to shot balls of light at her, which she quickly avoided. The energy blast hit a near by building instead, destroying it to pieces.  
  
Sakura looked at the fallen building horrified in the air and landed on another building.  
  
"Shield!" she yelled.  
  
----- Tomoyo and the others -----  
  
"He's too fast for her to handle," Wakari commented on grained teeth. They watched her dodged another punch in the air.  
  
"She will make it," Tomoyo said reassuringly. "I believe in her."  
  
"It's not that I don't believe in her, it just that he is way too fast," Wakari defended himself.  
  
Xiao Lang was so fast that they sometimes had trouble keeping up with his moves. They were worried that Sakura did too.  
  
"Why is she using the Shield on the buildings?" Tomoyo asked confused.  
  
Indeed Sakura was using the Shield Card to protect the buildings from Xiao Lang's blast. They were all confused as to why. Why would she protect the buildings?  
  
Kero looked at the scene closely, as did Yue. "She thinks people are still in the building," Kero said after a moment.  
  
"What?" the others said in shock and surprised.  
  
"The only reason why Sakura-san would shield all those buildings is because she thinks that people are inside it. She thinks that Xiao Lang is going to kill them," Yue explained.  
  
"But he wouldn't do that... Would he?" Tomoyo asked in worry.  
  
----- Sakura -----  
  
_'Must hold on. People must not die. Children will live and be happy. Can hold on. Lives will not end,'_ Sakura thought to herself as she fought to hold the Shield Card.  
  
"Sakura, enough," she heard Xiao Lang's voice say.  
  
That's when she noticed that he wasn't firing energy blasts at her anymore and was several feet away from her and staring at her.  
  
"Hoe," she said almost weakly and let go of the Shield. She felt her knees wobble a bit but was still strong enough to stand on her own.  
  
"You wasted your energy protect the buildings Sakura," she heard Armen say. She blushed embarrassed.  
  
"Did you honestly think that our little angel boy here would actually kill innocent people?" Armen continued. "If you did, I'm surprised. You disappoint me."  
  
Touya and Eriol glared at him.  
  
"Sakura, take a good look around you. And don't just use your eyes, but your other senses as well," Xiao Lang practically ordered her. But she obeyed.  
  
She closed her eyes for a moment and concentrated. She felt something. Something powerful surrounding the city. Then she looked up, and with her magical senses, she saw a great big, dark orange dome in the sky. Startled, she backed a step and stared. It was almost exactly like in her dream. Instead of a green light, it was orange.  
  
"That orange glow makes it so that whatever we do here, like destroy land, would restore itself to it once was before. It even makes it so that humans and other mortals would not be really here during the Trial," Armen explained.  
  
_'What do you mean be ''we''?'_ She thought, but instead said, "Oh. So it doesn't matter if we (meaning her and Xiao Lang) destroy the city, it would go back to what it was before the Trial started?"  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"And there are no humans here but us?"  
  
"Now you are catching on. You're not as stupid as you look."  
  
There was a muffled cry from where Eriol and Touya were.  
  
"I meant it in a good way."  
  
"Sure you did!" Touya snapped as he got free form Eriol.  
  
"So this is sort of like another dimension?" Sakura asked Armen. He had an unpleasant look on his face and Sakura wondered if she asked too many questions.  
  
"You are correct in guess so Sakura," Meilin said. "This barrier that I have put up, makes it so that one could fight without any hold backs that other people would provide. I made it so only we would be here and they," she pointed to Kero, Yue, Tomoyo, Wakari, Nakuru, and Suppi, "would be here as witnesses."  
  
"Hey! I said no more surprises!" Kero yelled having heard what they were saying. He then turned to the other two humans with him to explain why he just said that. They were too far away from where Sakura and the others were for Wakari and Tomoyo to hear.   
  
"Then let us continue," Xiao Lang said.  
  
Then the next thing Sakura knew was that she was flying upwards in the air after being kicked by the Chinese man.  
  
"Windy," she said in a whisper. Windy came out and stopped her flying ascend. Then Windy went to Xiao Lang, trying in fertile to chain him.  
  
"Sakura, you have used that move one too many times," he said as he effortlessly broke through Windy's grasps. "It's time that you use something new."  
  
_'I don't really want to fight him...,'_ she thought. _'But I know now that I must. Just like I fought with Eriol and Yue. I must fight. Who knows what will happen if I lose this Trial because I didn't fight.' _Determination came upon her eyes.  
  
"Arrow!"  
  
----- Meilin -----  
  
"So, she finally has grown," Meilin mused to herself.  
  
She watched as Sakura shot an arrow at her cousin, which became several arrows. Of course that wouldn't really work on him, but at least it was better than just dodging them throughout the whole Trial. If Sakura continued to dodge all of Xiao Lang's attacks, then she would be force to be in favor of Sakura.  
  
"And she really has grown in the past years too." She sighed.  
  
She still didn't know if she would vote in favor of her friend or not. Yes she still considered Sakura her friend. Hopefully Sakura still considered Meilin her friend too. But even though Sakura was still thought of as a friend, Meilin could not find it in her heart to fully forgive her. Her whole life as a human, gone. Her family's life and legacy, gone. All because some girl decided that she wanted to be normal. That was selfish.  
  
But she couldn't stay mad at Sakura for long. Though that didn't mean that she forgave her either. Or that she ever will.  
  
Because in a way, Sakura killed them all in that moment. The moment that the Li family had fallen. Well, the direct descendants of Clow Reed anyway.  
  
----- Sakura -----  
  
"Water!" Sakura yelled. Arrow was not the best choice of weapon or magic to use on Xiao Lang. Not only could he dart his away around several arrows at a time, but he could pluck them from the air as if they were nothing.  
  
She would just have to use another way of long range attacks. Water seemed like a good choice. Until Xiao Lang called upon the element of fire that evaporated Water and turned her back into a card.

So she tried Wood and then Earth. Nither got to him. Did nothing harm this guy?!  
  
Damn. Things were turning out just like the day when she was trying to capture the Fire.  
  
Then the idea struck her.  
  
"Water, Windy, Release!" she would use a combine attack like she did for the first time when she capture Fire.  
  
She watched as Water and Windy twined together, heading towards Xiao Lang. And he just called out his sword to tear them apart.  
  
"I was there when you capture Fire," he said to her with a hint of boredom in his voice.  
  
"Oh yeah," now she felt embarrassed.  
  
"Sword!" her staff turned into a sword and then she ran to where Xiao Lang was waiting for her with his own sword.  
  
Out of all the Sakura Cards, Sword was probably the only card that she used more than three times during the years that she lived a normal life. She liked the way Sword could cut apart stone and slice through air like butter. It was so sharp but had the appearance of a dull sword. Even though Sakura was not a fighter, she could proudly say that she knew how to use a sword without the Sword Card. It made her Sword Card more advance then the rest.  
  
The two slashed and parried each other expertly. Neither one having the advantage over the other. Neither one coming close to knocking the sword for their opponent.  
  
Sakura smiled proudly. At least she was fighting Xiao Lang head on without him breaking apart her spell or ducking it like it was nothing. But then again, who knew if he was holding back. He's been practicing the art of sword fight since he could walk.  
  
To prove that point, Xiao Lang's strokes became harder and faster.  
  
Sakura was knocked down by one of his thrusts and before he could swing another one at her while she was on the ground, she call, "Shield," again.  
  
Shield stopped his first swing and then the next one. It didn't stop the third one thought.  
  
"Shield would become opaque if you combine Lock with it," Xiao Lang informed her.  
  
"I never thought of that," she said. "Fight! Power! Dash! Release!"  
  
The idea of combining cards to make another card stronger gave her the idea that she could combine cards to make herself stronger too. She could use Fight to battle Xiao Lang with expert kicks and punches like he did so in the beginning of the Trial, use Power to add a great deal of power to her punches and kicks, and Dash for quicker movements.  
  
The idea worked too. Both of them kicked and blocked. Both of them punched and dodged. Both of them moving at quick speeds to gain the advantage. A punch to the stomach by Xiao Lang, which Sakura quickly recovered from and a kick to the head in retaliation.  
  
They even fought on top of buildings and their debris. Sakura needing to use Jump again and Xiao Lang.... using his own skills.  
  
Punch. Punch. Punch. Kick.  
  
Kick. Kick. Punch. Kick.  
  
Punch. Kick. Block. Kick.  
  
Their pattern went. It seemed, to the on lookers, that this would last a while. The swords fight last what seemed like over an hour. This seemed like it would last for the rest of the night.  
  
Armen's eyes never leaving Sakura. Almost willing her to be hit hard in the head or stomach. He never added any power to his will, that would be against the rules. And he would be the one disqualified for it. But that couldn't mean that he couldn't hope for it.  
  
Eriol and Touya watched with anxious eyes and the other humans and guardians with worried ones. Meilin had a blank look on her face, but had eyes that never left the fight.  
  
A quicker kick to the legs and a swift punch, made Sakura fall to the ground hard.  
  
"Enough. You have nothing left to give," he said as Sakura was about to get up.  
  
She looked at him in confusion. She could go on for a while longer. And while she attempted to get back up, she quickly fell back down. She never noticed until then how much magic she used and how tired she was. She was exhausted.  
  
"The fighting part of this Trial is over. We will begin to discuss whether or not you have pass or not," and with that, he levitated her towards her friends.  
  
----------------  
  
AN II: I will try to get the next chapter out by next week.


	5. End of the Trial

"Sakura-chan! You're bleeding!" Tomoyo exclaimed as she ran up to Sakura.  
  
"I am?" Sakura blinked confused and then looked down on herself. "Hoe!!"  
  
It was true. She was bleeding, but from cuts. She was covered with many small cuts that bled and her wrists were distastefully decorated with blue and purple bruises and gave off a sharp pain when she tried twisting them a bit. She was sure that there was another huge brilliant blue bruise on her stomach where Xiao Lang managed to kick her there several times. And a punch or two to boot. So when she tried to sit down on the unforgivable pavement ground to rest while Tomoyo and the others ran/flew to her, her stomach protested against it.  
  
On the bright side, she was able to land a kick of her owe to Xiao Lang's head. Though she suspected that he probably gave her that shot. At least she surprised him a bit when she back-handed him during their sword fight. But then he counter attacked her and she ended up falling to her butt. Oh how that hurt.  
  
She made a mental note to her then: never, _ever_ piss Xiao Lang off. _Ever_!!  
  
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Tomoyo asked as she took out a handkerchief from her purse and began to wipe away some of the dirt from her cuts.  
  
Wakari helped her stand up and Yue and Kero waited for her to answer. Well Yue waited, Kero just kept asking her questions and making rude gestures to Xiao Lang.  
  
"Are you sure you are okay? That doesn't hurt too much does it? Do you want me to go up there and show that Chinese gaki a thing or two? I'll scratch him and throw fire so hot at him so bad that he'll never know what hit him!! Are you sure you're okay Sakura-chan? Do you want me to go get water? Or something to eat? Sweets could do wonders for you right now. And while you have the Sweet Card-"  
  
"Enough Cerberus," Yue said. He was getting tired of his brother's chattering. "Give Sakura-san room to breathe and then she'll answer you questions."  
  
"But first, let me heal her," Meilin said from behind Yue.  
  
He moved aside to let her go to his master, but kept a close eye on her. Neutralist or not, he still felt wary of the supposedly dead Chinese girl. Tomoyo and Kero made room for her too but Wakari still stood by Sakura since he was holding her up.  
  
A bright red orange light came unto Meilin's hands and then she cupped her hands to Sakura's face. Sakura felt a warmness coming for Meilin's hands and her body started to feel the warmth too. She liked the feeling. She also could feel her body heal itself and her skin's discoloration go back to normal.  
  
When her body was completely healed, she felt sorry for the warmness to be gone so soon.  
  
"Thank you Meilin," she bowed to the other girl.  
  
"You welcome. But as Neutralist, it is my job to heal you from cuts and bruises after the battle part of the Trial," Meilin said. She bowed back to Sakura as well, but not as deep.  
  
Meilin then flew off to the other coordinates as Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun flew back down after talking with their master to Sakura and the others.  
  
"Sakura, their going to start their discussing about your performance now and then Xiao Lang will decide whether you passed or not," Ruby Moon said.  
  
"You mean that they are not going to openly discuss this with us?" Kero angrily asked. He didn't want them to argue about Sakura's fight privately. He wanted to hear what they had to say about her. Especially Arman.  
  
"Eriol-san said that it is better that they discuss this within themselves because people like you would interfere and interject to whatever they say," Spinel Sun said.  
  
"What?! I would not interject with what they would say!" Kero yelled.  
  
"You would also disagree with everything they say."  
  
"I would not!"  
  
"Would too."  
  
"Would not!"  
  
"Would too."  
  
"Not!"  
  
"Too. You're doing it right now."  
  
Realizing that arguing with the other sun guardian would prove pointless, Kero started to grumble to himself as the others sweat dropped.  
  
"Remember Kero, expect the unexpected."  
  
"Shut up!!"  
  
----- Xiao Lang and the others -----  
  
"Adherenters, you may begin first," Xiao Lang said to Eriol and Touya, nodding in their direction.  
  
They were still several feet in the air. But instead of being spread out and floating like they were before, they were much closer. Too close for comfort in Eriol and Touya's case since Armen was floating right next to them. Touya had to swallow the urge to punch the Fallen before starting.  
  
"We think that Sakura has done exceptionally well in the battle. She has managed to keep up with the Head for a good part of it and she has learned to use some strategic moves during the duration of the battle," Touya said.  
  
"She also had to cope with the problem of having to use her staff to unleash a Card's power and have been able to just call the Card instead of unsealing it with her Staff of the Stars," Eriol added.  
  
"Commencer, what say you of this?" Xiao Lang nodded to Armen.  
  
Armen had a thoughtfully expression on his face. He wanted to say what he thought carefully. And he didn't want to leave anything out.  
  
"I say," he began, "that they are right."  
  
This shocked both Adherenters. They didn't expect that from the Fallen. Touya had his mouth slightly agape. Eriol, being the more dignified person he was, stared at the Fallen vaguely astonished. Who would expect Armen to agree with something or anything that they had said? Even so, willingly.  
  
"But only towards the end of the battle that she was able to increase her small but slightly considerable power to fit more accurately with that of the Head's largely decreased power," Armen finish what he left off with the one sentence thought that was incomplete.  
  
Touya recovered from his shock and glared at the once Virtue. Should have really have known that the Fallen would not fully agree with them.  
  
"But you admit that Sakura has grown in power during the battle," Eriol said finding a loophole in the Fallen's words.  
  
"She has," he agreed. "But it was still small. She was more powerful when she was 11. At the age of 23 she is barely holding on to a little more than half that power longer than 5 minutes."  
  
"You forget, it's because she hasn't been practicing as much as she should have," Touya growled.  
  
"And that, is exactly my point," Armen said with a smirk.  
  
"Shit," Touya muttered.  
  
"Isn't this one of the main reasons why we are all here tonight? Wasting our time on this girl who was too selfish to trade in time to practice becoming stronger and have more control of her magical abilities with a 'normal life'. What is so great about a normal life anyways? It's boring. No excitement. No unexpectenty. No nothing. Just the same boring routine, every single day."  
  
Touya growled low in his throat. Eriol held his staff so tight that his knuckles turned white.  
  
"It's... what does these humans on another country say... oh yeah. Same shit different day."  
  
Before Touya could lash out on Armen, Xiao Lang interrupted him, "Armen, your point."  
  
"My point is Head," stressing the word Head, "Is that Sakura is not the type of person to grow stronger on training alone. She seems to only grow dramatically stronger when she needs to. Am I right, Eriol?"  
  
Xiao Lang looked to Eriol. Eriol having knowing this with first hand experience from making Sakura go through tests to make her turn the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards. He nodded yes to confirm what Armen had said.  
  
"We can't always make problems where Sakura has to fix it magically to increase her power. That would be more wasted time on us as well as power where we could be using it on something more productive." Armen finished.  
  
"Neutralist, what do you think of Armen's point?" Xiao Lang asked Meilin.  
  
"I agree with Armen," she answered.  
  
Touya looked at the young woman in disbelief.  
  
"Even when she was capturing Clow Cards, she never practiced her magic. She only used her magic when she needed to do battle with the Clow Card. She also does not know any other spells or history about magic. Only from a non- mage point of view," Meilin said.  
  
"Exactly my point!" Armen cried out in triumphed. "It's obvious that Sakura does not want to have magic nor does she even care. So why bother letting her keep the Cards? Their power and potential would be desecrated in her care."  
  
"She does however take good care of them. The Cards love her!" Touya defended his little sister.  
  
"That may be so, but are they willing to stay with her even though they will most likely end up in the back of a shelf covered with dust?" Armen challenged Touya.  
  
"Eriol, you are the half reincarnation of Clow Reed. What is your opinion on this matter?" Xiao Lang asked.  
  
"The reason why reincarnation chose Sakura was because of that reason. He knew that Sakura would take good care of the Cards," Eriol answered with a smile.  
  
"Come now half-soul, tell us the full reason why he chose Sakura as Master of the Cards," Armen said with a smile of his own.  
  
Eriol's smile faltered. "He had also hoped that she would unlock their full potential once more."  
  
"And has she?"  
  
"You already know the answer to that question," Eriol growled. Armen had worn his patience thin.  
  
"I wouldn't be asking these types of questions if you just answered the earlier questions with a full answer," Armen smile brightly. Oh he was enjoying this.  
  
Now Eriol wanted to join in with Touya to shot him several times. Or was it cutting the once angel to a million pieces? Well whatever it was he just wanted to join his half son in killing the dark angel. Dark scenes of Armen dieing painfully was playing in Touya's head. Of that Eriol knew. Now if only they had enough power to actually carry out their wish.  
  
"Careful Touya. Only the dead would avoid those wonderful scenarios that you keep playing in your head," Armen cheekily said.  
  
Oh how much Touya wanted a gun right now. A sword would do perfectly as well.  
  
"But Head, you must also take into consideration that Sakura was able to grow in power over time without practicing when she was 10. There is a good chance that she is still able to do so," Eriol said in a finial attempt to swing things into their side.  
  
Xiao Lang looked at Meilin who said, "You were there the whole time when she was capturing the Clow Cards. He is right. She was able to grow in power by solely capturing the Cards."  
  
Eriol mentally sighed in relief. Meilin may not be backing them up 100%, but give her something to work with and she could be a powerful ally in their cause.  
  
"Yes, but the same reasons still apply. She would only grow in strength if she has a good, solid reason to grow strong," Armen said.  
  
"Isn't saving other life a good enough reason to grow in strength?" Touya challenged him back. He smirked for finally having the upper hand to which he knew that the Fallen had nothing to deny that reason with.  
  
"But correct me if I'm wrong, didn't Clow Reed give Sakura a great deal of her power?" Armen raised one of his eye brows.  
  
Touya narrowed his eyes. _'Fuck you,'_ he thought.  
  
Armen made a low evil laugh. "The Cards were practically a gift from Clow Reed himself!"  
  
Xiao Lang and Meilin locked eyes. Then he turned towards Armen and both of them nodded their heads.  
  
"Is there anything more to say?" Xiao Lang asked the four.  
  
Armen shook his head with a sly smile. Touya and Eriol shook their heads too in defeat. They didn't know what else to say. And Xiao Lang was about to make his decision. Meilin had a thoughtful look on her face.  
  
Finally she said, "She has great potential."  
  
Xiao Lang nodded his head before closing his eyes and positioned his body as if to mediate. The others floated away a few feet from him and landed on the ground gently. Eriol and Touya quickly moved a few feet away from Armen once they were on the ground. Meilin remained next to Armen. Armen just smirked in satisfaction.  
  
"By the way half-soul, does your fiancé know what your real age is?"  
  
"Real age? What does that bastered mean by that?"  
  
"It's a long story..."  
  
----- Sakura and the others -----  
  
"Look, some of them are going down," Tomoyo observed.  
  
"Do we go to them?" Sakura asked and moved a step forward towards them.  
  
Eriol turned his head towards them and shook his head in a no.  
  
"I guess not then," Wakari said a bit confused. "Hey, what's he doing?" he pointed to Xiao Lang.  
  
"It appears that he is mediating," Yue answered.  
  
"Mediating?! At a time like this?" Kero exclaimed in disbelief.  
  
"Kero-chan, maybe he is deciding whether Sakura-chan passed or failed," Tomoyo soothed the lion guardian.  
  
"He most likely is," Ruby Moon said.  
  
"Sakura-chan, are you alright?" Tomoyo asked her seeing her best friend fidget.  
  
Sakura smiled. "Hai. I'm fine. I guess I'm just a bit nervous about Xiao Lang's decision."  
  
"Don't worry Sakura-chan. I'm sure that you've passed. And with flying colors. I mean, you should've seen the way that you fought. You were like bam! And boom!" Kero flew up a bit and did a kick in the air with one of his paws. It was a very comical sight seeing a lion kicking and then punching with his front paws.  
  
"Hoe..." Sakura said in embarrassment. "Kero-chan, I'm sure I wasn't all that good."  
  
"But you were Sakura-chan," Kero flew back down. "Beside with the way Xiao Lang feels about you, I'm- mmmhhh."  
  
Spinel Sun clasped Kero's month with his two front paws. Sakura just looked confused. "With the way Xiao Lang feels...?"  
  
"He means with the way Xiao Lang feels about the friendship between you two," Tomoyo answered. Sakura seemed to accept this.  
  
Wakari looked at both Tomoyo and Kero suspiciously. Then he looked to Xiao Lang's folded form in meditation and then to Sakura.  
  
"Sakura, do you still feel tried?" Wakari asked in concerned.  
  
"A little bit yes. But then that no," she answered.  
  
"You magic is completely spent though. It would take you a few days to recover your full strength," Yue commented.  
  
Sakura said a hai in understanding.  
  
'Though she was still weak during the battle,' Ruby Moon thought to herself.  
  
----- Xiao Lang -----  
  
She has great potential.  
  
That's what his dear cousin had said. That's what Eriol had said. Not in exact words, but that's what he meant. That's what many people had said.  
  
It was a fact that Sakura had great potential. No one could dispute that. Not even Armen could deny that. But what also a fact was that Sakura did not have a great deal amount of power. Potential but no power. It was like never really trying to do something. Say bicycle riding. A person could probably bike if he or she tried to. But if the person didn't even try, then the potential to bike very well went to waste.  
  
Such a sad road fate made. But then again, it was pain that made a person grow and not happiness. So did Sakura grow?  
  
Well she grew in knowledge from books. In wisdom, she is about the same as she was five years ago. Tomoyo grew in that department. Besides, Sakura was almost _always _happy. Xiao Lang kept track of her as he kept track of everyone in Japan.  
  
He knew that Chiharu and Yamazaki were married by the age of 20. They were one of the few couples to stay together for almost all their life and finally get married. Chiharu is now very pregnant with a baby boy and Yamazaki still tells lies. Rika married their fifth grade teacher at 18. (AN: I forgot his name. Sorry.) That was a shock to many people. But they still are happily married and with a 2 year old girl. Rika is pregnant again with a boy this time. She doesn't know it yet though.  
  
But back to Sakura. Should he pass her? She did grow from a small one to a bigger one in the battle. But it was still small. If she had fought the demons years ago, she would have died. She hasn't even chosen a successor yet. But the main point is that she did grow. Her power grows when she needs it to grow. That is her potential.  
  
But should he fail her, he would have to take the Cards away. Not only would Sakura be unhappy but so too would the Cards. The Cards did love her. But they also know that they need to be with a master who not only takes good care of them but also can unlock their full power. They were much more than power in cards. They were actual spirits created by Clow. And as spirits, they should be free and used. For them to be used makes them happy because they like to help. And when they help, they are free.  
  
Pass or fail? Both has its pros and cons.  
  
To pass is to make Sakura and all her friends happy as well as the Cards and her guardians. But the Cards would continue to be weak and not use to fulfill their purpose. Both they and Sakura would feel as if something had been missing in their lives. Something that they didn't do. A need to do something will overcome them. But they would not know what to do. A restlessness would be in their every shadow. A longing for something that happened in the pass that they could not go back to. Not even the Time Card would be able to bring them back in the pass to change events. The Time was meant for the Master to go back into the pass and learn the whys and hows.  
  
To fail them is to make Armen happy and everyone else sad. Xiao Lang didn't know Armen very well. But he did know why he hates innocents. Not only was Armen once a Virtue (a second class angel) but he was also once an angel of the innocent. And as being an angel of innocence he himself was innocent. And he felt such sorrow and compassion for another Fallen who was badly hurt. He tried to heal the Fallen and as a reward, was turned into a Fallen himself. The Fallen didn't do anything dishonest since the Fallen was unconscious, but Armen did not expect the Fallen to have a safety fall back spell to any that touch the Fallen.  
  
If any other demonic or other fallen angels that were as powerful or weaker then the Fallen that touched the said Fallen if the Fallen was not conscious, then they would become unconscious as well. But if any holy beings that was as powerful or weak then the cataleptic dark angel would turn dark or evil. Their light would turn dark. So unfortunately, Armen touch the knocked out Fallen and he himself turned dark. And the reason he hated innocent is because he used to be one of them. He saw how weak they were with their compassion. And with all their compassion and no real knowing of evil, they were easy prey. Because to be innocent is to know no evil.  
  
Xiao Lang himself did not favor innocents. But he does know how powerful they can be. It was only too bad that they were not powerful when you needed them to be. Only when all else fails did their powers show. But then, once they used that power, they would no longer be innocent. How the wheel turns.  
  
Xiao Lang made a decision and then unfolded himself and landed gracefully down to the ground.  
  
"Show off," he heard Armen say lowly.  
  
He just ignored the Fallen and motioned for the coordinators to come closer to him.  
  
"I still can't see how you were able to keep a young body," Touya said quietly to Eriol as he walked towards Xiao Lang.  
  
"I have made my decision," he began.  
  
"Took you a while," Touya muttered.  
  
Xiao Lang ignored this as well. So he continued, "My decision has some draw backs. Touya, Eriol, listen closely. This concerns you two greatly."  
  
----- Sakura and the others -----  
  
"Well it's about time that the Chinese gaki made up his mind," Kero complained as he and the others walked to where the coordinators were.  
  
"Kero-chan, don't be mean," Sakura scolded him.  
  
"You have to admit, he did take a while," Wakari sided with Kero.  
  
"Thank you!" Kero said gratefully.  
  
"Well at least we didn't have to wait until morning," Sakura said thoughtfully.  
  
"It's been a while since morning," Tomoyo thoughtfully answered. "It's been a really long night. I'm surprised that it isn't morning yet!" she looked at her phone to check what time it was. "That's funny, the clocked stopped at 8:35 P.M."  
  
"That's about the same time as the sun set," Ruby Moon and Yue said in unison.  
  
"When Meilin made the barrier, time must have stopped as well," Spinel Sun commented.  
  
"Very powerful that Meilin is," Kero praised the Chinese woman.  
  
When they got to where the coordinators where, Xiao Lang said, "Kinomoto Sakura, please step forward."  
  
Sakura timidly stepped forward a couple of step. At least they weren't floating in the air anymore.  
  
"Kinomoto Sakura, the battle between you and myself had been fruitful. You have great potential and with time, your powers can grow on their own," Xiao Lang said.  
  
Sakura sighed in relief as did her friends. That gave big hints that she passed. Right?  
  
"As in my decision, Sakura you have passed," a big whoop and cheer came from Sakura's friends.  
  
"I passed?" Sakura asked as if she didn't quite make out what he had said.  
  
"Yes Sakura. You passed." Xiao Lang said blankly.  
  
Touya and Eriol did look happy. But not as happy as Sakura thought that should be.  
  
"But before we or they congratulate you," Xiao Lang said before the others could run up to Sakura and hug her. "There are some terms that you have to comply with."  
  
"What? Terms?" Kero asked confused and angered again. "But Sakura passed your stupid test!"  
  
"She passed yes. But not with fly colors," Armen smirked.  
  
"You must agree with the terms before I can tell you what they are. But do not worry, for they are reasonable terms," Xiao Lang said to Sakura. "Do you accept?"  
  
Did she accept? Would she accept? If she didn't accept then that would mean that she would fail. She didn't want to fail. And Xiao Lang said that the terms were reasonable. The Sakura Cards came out of the Sakura and began to encircle around her in comfort and as if to help her say either yes or no. So what could go wrong?  
  
"I accept," she finally said. The Cards went to Sakura's outstretched hands.  
  
"The terms go as follows," Xiao Lang began. "One, Sakura would not choose the next successor."  
  
"What?!" Kero yelled out but was immediately clapped shut again by Spinel sun.  
  
Yue looked over to Eriol who only shook his head in agreement to what Xiao Lang said.  
  
"Second term. Since Sakura did not fight the demons when she was destined to, she will have to fight another set of demons. Some of them would be the same as those who my family fought. The more powerful ones. Third term is that a third of the power that Clow Reed gave to you when you were 10 will be taken away. So you will have to grow tremendously to fight head on with the demons. And remember to repair the veil as well. That means that you must learn and master several spells as well. Fourth and last term is that you will fight the demon when you are 18 years old," Xiao Lang finished.  
  
"18 years old? But we are 23 now," Tomoyo said in confusion.  
  
"What you dear little wolf means is that you all will go back in time and start over," Armen explained.  
  
"All over? We have to go back to school and start over from stretch? That's not fair! We worked hard to get ourselves to where we are!" Wakari complained.  
  
"Well that's just too bad for you. Besides, it's not like you all will remember anyways," Armen said.  
  
"Our memories? They will be taken away?" Yue asked.  
  
"Yes. When you go back into the past, it would not be right for you all to remember what happen with everything up to this point. So we must take your memories away," Meilin explained.  
  
"So all of this would be like it never happened," Sakura said softly. The Cards pulsed a soft pink color for comfort and understanding. Sakura hugged them close to her.  
  
"Yes. Only Eriol and Touya will remember what happened. But only vaguely," Meilin waved to the said men.  
  
"Why do they get to remember, ever if it is vaguely, and we don't?" Wakari asked.  
  
"So they can't act as guides for Sakura. It would do no good if all of you remembered. If you all did remember, it would prove nothing. We want Sakura to do this on her own and not because we really want her to. This has to be for herself," Meilin explained.  
  
"But you will have a sense of need to want to improve in our magic. Because we will only take away your memories so you would not consciously know them. Only in your dreams," Xiao Lang looked at her.  
  
Next thing Sakura knew was that a blackness was covering herself and her friends.  
  
She heard a soft and gentle voice within her say, _"You have two years to prepare Sakura. Good luck."  
_  
Then she heard another voice that was rougher and had a dangerous edge to it say, _"Yes, Sakura, good luck. And hope that you won't meet up with me again. Because if you do, it won't be a pleasant meeting."  
_  
A faint laugh was heard and a green light was seen. Then all was black again and Sakura woke up to the sound of her alarm clock ringing.  
  
"Hoe!! I'm late!!" was heard through out the house.  
  
------------------------------------  
  
AN: sorry for the late update. There's still another chapter left. All Syaoran lovers must read. And I hope that none of you will kill me because he may be in pain in it. ::ducks behind a huge rock:: but I love Syaoran!!!! 


	6. End to Beginning

"Fly!" Sakura yelled as angelic wings grew unto her back.  
  
She flew left, then right, and then left again to avoid attacks from demons. A feeling of doing this once before came on to her, but she quickly shook the feeling off. Many of the demons appeared to have humanoid forms but others were animal like creatures. Then there were those that were made up from entirely from elements like water and ice.  
  
"Shot!" she shouted again while flying.  
  
The medium size star on her staff glowed yellow and when she pointed it towards the air demons that flew behind her, blasts of energy came out from it. The star was no longer encircled with a pink thing and the wings on the sides were a little bit bigger than it was when she first transformed the Sealing Staff to the Staff of the Stars.  
  
"Alright Sakura!" Tomoyo yelled in encouragement while video taping Sakura flying around shooting demons from the sky.  
  
Then she turned her camera to where Kero was in his true form burning away the lesser demonic creatures and then to Yue who was throwing shards of crystals at others. This was all so exciting and Tomoyo loved every minute of it.  
  
Then there was a flash of blue light right behind her so she turned around to see her lover, Eriol, in his Clow Reed robes.  
  
"Watch out Tomoyo, this could get very ugly," Eriol smiled as he sent another blue flash of light towards an upcoming demon that was heading their way.  
  
"Yes, but I'm sure that either you or Sakura will protect me," Tomoyo said. She was still video taping everything.  
  
"Are you sure that you still want to be here?" Spinel Sun asked as he flew down to where they were.  
  
"Of course! I want to make sure that I get everything! This is going to be one of the most important events that Sakura will have to face as Master of the Sakura Cards and I want to be sure that I can preserve the memory of when Sakura will seal all the demons away. Besides, she will unlock her full power and I will be truly blessed if I was here to record it all. And she is also wearing one of my kawaii costume that I made especially for this occasion," Tomoyo replied, oddly very happily.  
  
"Then you have my blessings to remain here, koishii," Eriol said kissing her.  
  
"Didn't I always have your blessings to be here?" Tomoyo said slyly.  
  
Eriol laughed. "Suppi-chan, please protect Tomoyo while Ruby Moon and I help Sakura, Kero, and Yue."  
  
"I know no Suppi-chan. But I will gladly protect Tomoyo while you blast away all those pesky demons back to where they came from."  
  
Eriol laughed again before flying off to where Ruby Moon was. Tomoyo stayed behind, returning back to what she was doing before and Spinel Sun did what he was asked.  
  
----- Sakura -----  
  
"There are too many of them!" Sakura yelled out to Kero as she called upon Wood to hold off some of the demons from getting close to her.  
  
Both were still in the sky of Toemede (AN: I forgot the spelling) Park. The veil was torn right near where Sakura lived, so it was easier for her to get there and to call her friends. For the pass two years, Sakura had been getting dreams about the demons. At first it was very foggy and unclear. Sometimes she didn't even remember it. But it always came with a strong will to become stronger. Like she needed to get more powerful and know more knowledge about her magic and the cards.  
  
So she started to practice everyday and use her Cards more and more often. She could tell that Kero and Yue were happy with this turn of event. Especially Touya and Eriol. Because after the age of 12, she didn't want to practice magi anymore because it was getting in the way of her life. Now at 18 she was able to work around her schedule and practice. She could also tell that her Cards loved it whenever she asks them to do something for her. It was just a feeling.  
  
She could especially tell that they were happy now. They seem to think that they would be most useful in battle then in any other types of situations. Even Bubble and Sweet, the passive Cards, loved to help out when there was a battle going on. Though they didn't do much of anything until a fight is done.  
  
It disturbed Sakura to think that the Cards where made for a fighting purpose. She didn't like to think that Clow Reed made them for the sole purpose to fight an enemy. But that was part of the reason why they were made Eriol had said. It still made her uneasy to think that such nice Cards, which were also her friends, could be used as a highly dangerous weapon. As Mistress of the Cards now, couldn't she make them have a different purpose other than fighting?  
  
She would have to think about that later because right now there were too many demons to worry about and not enough time to think about something else.  
  
"Every time we destroy one, two or three take their place. And every time we cut one in half, we have two more in its stead running a mock!" Kero yelled in exasperation.  
  
Sakura wasn't the only one having dreams when she was 17. Kero had dreams as well. Though Eriol was sure that they weren't prophetic dreams. They were more like nightmares really. Kero wouldn't say what they were until they got so bad that he refused to sleep.  
  
Apparently they were dreams of food eating him instead of the other way around! Kero claimed that were chasing him for what seemed like hours until he would run into a TV that want to smash him into little portions. Then after he got away from that, he would see this creepy looking man with holes in his head and blood in every part of his body trying to hack poor Kero into pieces so he could eat a part of Kero every day for a month.  
  
Then there were days in which this lady without a face would want Kero's soul and then her twin, who had buttons as eyes, would want to eat Kero's eyes because they looked pretty. But not as pretty as hers.  
  
Poor Kero could not look at food the same way again. Or buttons. The dreams were of a variety of kinds, but those two would repeat the most. It only stopped when Sakura used the Dream Card on him every time he went to sleep. So poor Sakura had to use her magic every night for almost a year until Kero's nightmares stopped.  
  
"Sakura-san, I do not see any other way but to use all four of the elemental cards at full power at once," Yue said.  
  
"What?! But that is too much magic to use! Sakura may not have enough power to fix the veil after she destroys most of the demons here. And besides, we don't know if every demon here would die!" Kero yelled.  
  
"Right now I think it is the best shot that we have," Eriol said from behind.  
  
"What you think Sakura-san?" Yue asked his Mistress.  
  
Sakura looked around the park. It was true. The park was covered with demons. Spinel Sun had to summon a shield to protect Tomoyo from demons attacking from every direction. Sakura was glad that it was about 2 o'clock in the morning and that Eriol had put a spell so that no one could be killed by these demons.  
  
Quickly Sakura made a choice. She didn't even tell her friends what it was before she pulled out 5 cards from the Sakura Book.  
  
"Windy, Water, Earth, Fire, and Hope! Unleash your full might and cleanse this park of this demonic sight! Release!"  
  
A blinding flash of white, blue, brown, red, and gold covered the whole park. It destroyed every negative aura it touched and repaired damaged earth and other man-made property in the park. The sight was so amazing and the light beautiful that Tomoyo had tears running down her eyes. Needless to say that there were also stars in her eyes.  
  
"Kawaii...," she whispered. She was so proud of her cousin and best friend.  
  
When the light eventually faded, Sakura wobbled on her knees before falling to the ground.  
  
"Sakura!" everyone yelled in concerned.  
  
"It's okay. I'm alright," she replied to everyone's questions of worry.  
  
She got up once more and mentally prepared herself for another strong spell.  
  
"Sakura, perhaps you should let me-"Eriol tried to say before Sakura stopped him.  
  
"No. It's okay. I could do this." Her appearance said other wise. She was cover with blood that was not her own and she was pretty sure that most of the red blood was her own. Kero and Yue looked better than she did. Though their fur/hair was way out of proportion. Eriol looked as if he had been running for miles none stop.  
  
Never the less, she lifted up her arms and then brought them down in a prayer like fashion.  
  
"Veil that protects our world from theirs. Veil that was, is, and still will be a barrier to their world from ours. Veil that is thin but strong. Veil that is open, close your arms once more. Bring back those who do not belong in this world. I, Sakura, Mistress of the Sakura Cards, shall aid in your healing and allow you to borrow my strength in return that you shall be whole once more!"  
  
The next thing Sakura knew was that blackness had covered her world.  
  
----- Syaoran/Xiao Lang -----  
  
He was just walking. The place was like paper, all white. There were no walls and it seemed like there were no floors beneath his feet or a roof on top of his head. To an on looker, it would seem as if the boy was walking on air. It appeared as if he was actually floating and not walking and that he just giving the illusion of walking on air by moving his feet in a walking like matter.  
  
But he was just walking. In an endless place with no real destination.  
  
As he moved his feet a few more steps, the white turned into a lighter shade of green. He stopped to admire the color for a moment before continuing on.  
  
He reached out his hand as if trying to touch the color and then green color of the place rippled at his touch. Then he moved his hand in a circular motion, an image of a jaded wolf appeared. It had burning amber eyes that glowed. The boy smiled and the wolf pulled its head back in a howl before disappearing.  
  
The boy's own amber eyes glowed briefly before he turned around and continued walking.  
  
"Do you come here all the time or is this visit something special?" a voice asked as part of the green light that covered the place turned a dark, muddy gray.  
  
"It's my first time," the boy admitted.  
  
"Ah, then it's something special," Armen drawled out.  
  
"How many times have you been here?" Syaoran asked. He knew that it was a stupid question, but he just asked solely for conversational purposes.  
  
"Dear little wolf, I was born here," Armen said as if he was correcting a little child.  
  
Then again, Xiao Lang was in the form of a 13 year old. Not quite a child because of his innocent yet stony looking face, but definitely not a teen. His eyes held wisdom far beyond that of a normal teenager.  
  
"I see. But you didn't answer the question, Armen," Xiao Lang observed. Then Armen finally revealed himself in front of the little wolf.  
  
He looked the same as he did on the day of the Trial. Same normal exterior as any other human being. He was good at what he did. He could act so much like a human that many believed that he probably was one. That, perhaps, made him all the more dangerous.  
  
Xiao Lang wasn't scared of him. He had little reason to be so. Even if he was a far cry from being as old as the Fallen and not as powerful yet. He didn't have access to his full power yet. He had to go through a ceremony, or a coronation, to awaken the sleeping power that he was born with. So, compared to the other angels and demons, he was like a baby. Yet he still did not fear the other.  
  
Armen laughed. "I've been here many times. And even though I've been here so many times before, this place never ceases to amaze me. All the colors it could change into with just a mere presence. All the images it could produce with just a hint of power to one's wish. But then the image only lasts for a few moments no matter how much power one puts on the image."  
  
"Is there a point here?" Xiao Lang asked patiently.  
  
"Were you always a patient boy when you were human? Or did our young Sakura- chan change you?"  
  
Xiao Lang just raised his left eye brow.  
  
"That's it? No 'Leave Sakura out of this?' Or even a growl? Come on Seraphim, throw me a bone." He made a mock pleading face.  
  
"Did you really have to make Sakura blind?"  
  
"It was only for a month."  
  
"And paralyze her left arm?"  
  
"She didn't have enough battle wounds."  
  
"What about the multiple cuts and bruises everywhere on her body?"  
  
"I did not do any of those but they weren't good enough."  
  
"She also has a huge black and blue bruise on her lower abdominal."  
  
"They would have used magic so that it only stay there for a week at most."  
  
"And the scar on the back of her right leg?"  
  
"The one that looks like a star on fire?"  
  
"You were being very precise."  
  
"I do try."  
  
"But I think that they think of the burning star as something that means that Sakura is strong."  
  
"Then I would have to change their way of thinking so that the scar will serve as a reminder of who isn't as powerful as they thought," Armen smirked.  
  
"Then there was a gash on her right arm that almost cut off a vein," Xiao Lang continued.  
  
"Not my work."  
  
"You made the cut bigger."  
  
"Did I? Maybe I should have cut the arm off completely while I was at it."  
  
"Your friends did mange to give her a slight concussion."  
  
"Of that, I am proud."  
  
"I'm sure you are."  
  
"Why? Aren't you proud that your Sakura-chan managed to defeat my demonic friends and repair the veil?" this time it was Armen's turn to raise an eye brow.  
  
"At the price of you injuring her like you did?" Xiao Lang half asked and half stated.  
  
There was a pause before Armen said, "Yes."  
  
"Well then. No. Not really," was the answer.  
  
"You meant to fail her, ne?" Armen said. He had known that the Chinese boy was going to pass Sakura before the Trial even started. He had read the profile of both before hand and of that of the coordinators. With this new revelation, he had to change his mind.  
  
"Yes. I was meaning to fail her," Syaoran, not Xiao Lang, head of the Li Clan and Seraphim of the Light's holy order, said.  
  
This defiantly was something new and surprising. He knew that the boy loved the Card's Mistress. That he would do almost anything for her. But to have him say that he wanted to fail her. That he originally planned to have her fail the Trial was something else.  
  
"So why did you change your mind?" Armen had to ask.  
  
"Because," Syaoran looked at Armen in the eye, "she grew up."  
  
"Is that the lone reason why you passed her?" Armen knew that there had to be something more. He moved back a couple of steps.  
  
"I wasn't allowed to bring them back to the past if I failed her," Xiao Lang said as he too, moved back a couple of paces. He gave a small smile.  
  
"I see. That is very interesting," Armen smiled as well. Then bended down a little and summoned two daggers.  
  
"I suppose it is," Xiao Lang's sword appeared.  
  
"I never did finish telling what I said earlier," shadow like wings appeared on the back of Armen and looking very sharp.  
  
"And that is?" light like wings appeared on the back of Xiao Lang looking almost as sharp as the other.  
  
"This place also shows what one truly feels. The hidden ones most especially," Armen smirked once more before both flew at each other.  
  
The place that was once white, and then green, then half gray with the green, turned into a mixture of green, gray, and red as wolves and angels clashed.  
  
----- China/Li mansion -----  
  
A figure in mild pain, tattered clothes, and stains on his skin stumbled into the room where a late 40 year old woman was currently reading.  
  
"Xiao Lang, ni hao ma? Are you okay?" she asked in Chinese.  
  
"Wo hao. I'm good," Xiao Lang smiled ruefully.  
  
"If you're good than I'm a parrot's mother," she replied in a business like tone.  
  
"You probably were," he said knowing that she didn't like parrots.  
  
"If your mother was here, she would have frowned upon such oddities," was the tart reply.  
  
Xiao Lang chuckled. "If mama was here, she would have smacked my head lightly."  
  
A longful look was on the older woman's eyes. "Yes. I suppose that she would."  
  
"Auntie Da Ma, I really shouldn't be seen like this to the others."  
  
"Yes, you really shouldn't," Xiao Lang looked behind him to see his younger cousin, Ming. "You'll scare the rest of the family if they see you like that," she continued.  
  
"Can you walk?" his aunt asked.  
  
"I'm not in that much pain as I look," Xiao Lang said blankly.  
  
"Always the warrior," Ma Da said rolling her eyes.  
  
"Would you have me any other way?" he smirked.  
  
Ming wrapped her smaller arms around her cousin. "Of course not. But you better get cleaned up soon. If anyone else saw you, they would think that you were dying."  
  
"Think of the chaos you would bring upon this family if they did," Ma Da pointed out.  
  
"Chaos is sometimes good for a family," Xiao Lang said releasing his Ming's hold on him. Of all the family now currently living on the Li territories, Ma Da and Ming were the closest to him. Ma Da had no magic and was in America with her two adult sons when the family was attacked. Ming was living in Russia her whole 11 years of life before her father moved his family back to the Li mansion. She had little magic. Meilin would sometimes visit them as well, but that is becoming rarer and the visits short. And Wei had died with the rest of the family.  
  
"By the way Xiao Lang, where were you?" Ma Da asked her nephew as he headed out of the room.  
  
Xiao Lang stopped by didn't turn back. "I was at the place where the first war between Heaven and Hell had their draw."  
  
----- Heaven -----  
  
Long ago, existence created life. Life in return created God to make life grow. God then created angels that became his (he really has no gender but this is easier) people. They were all holy and lived in a very peaceful way. But once peace was born, so to was corruption.  
  
The first to be corrupted was the very first being, God himself. It happened after billions of years after God and his angles came to existence. For it grew slowly underneath their smiles and joy. God became consumed with wanting more and more. He wanted his people to do his every biding. He wanted to grow stronger and powerful than he already was. He became cruel and demand that all he's wants be met. Some of the angels saw the wrong in what their God wanted. The first to take action against God's unfair wants and saw the born of corruption was Lucifer.  
  
Lucifer gathered other angels who too, saw the wrong in God's way and started the first war ever. The made a place that was to be their way home and called it Hell. During the final battle between God and Lucifer, Lucifer found a way to purify the first being to come to life by sacrificing his own purity.  
  
But before Lucifer fully accomplish in purifying God, God made sure that the rest of Lucifer's followers would also suffer the same fate as the one who led them. So Lucifer and all of his followers became dark, evil. They were demons.  
  
Existence saw what had happened and saw how Life became tired and unfair Life was. The only outlet for Life to rest was the War where angels entrapped their fellow angels for all entireties. So existence created Death for Life to rest. Death was also the ultimate fairness because existence reason, that everything and every being could die. No matter what. Death would balance Life.  
  
And so, balance was then born.  
  
Lucifer and his followers were then condemned to Hell. They were evil while Heaven, once again, were good. God became sorrowful with what had happened, so he created Earth where both angels and demons could freely go.  
  
"Xiao Lang, are you ready?" Meilin asked interrupting Xiao Lang's thoughts about the past.  
  
"I'm ready," he nodded.  
  
"This is a very big day for you. You'll have more responsibilities and more power than you know what to do with. Are you sure that you are ready?" Meilin asked again. She kept fidgeting and wringing her hands.  
  
"You act as if you are the one who the ceremony is supposed to be for you," Xiao Lang made a small smile.  
  
"Well I would be nervous if this ceremony was for me," she snapped back. "This is when they are going to unlock your real power."  
  
"Hn."  
  
"Hn? You are going to be a true full Seraphim and all you could say is Hn?!"  
  
"Well, what do you want me to say?" Xiao Lang turned his head so he could look at the beauty that was Heaven.  
  
Where he and Meilin were currently were, was a beautiful field and a water fall close by. It was the dream of any animal that loved sun and grass.  
  
Meilin scowled. Then she paused for a moment before smirking. "So I hear that you got into a brawl with Armen a few months ago. How did you fair?"  
  
It was Xiao Lang's turn to scowl, but his was softer. "I was beaten so you don't have to rub it in."  
  
"After this is over, are you going to have a rematch with him?" Meilin questioned.  
  
He thought it over. "Perhaps. It was fun battling with him. We should do it again Though I did not fight with him so I could avenge Sakura when she finished closing the veil and he made her unconscious for two weeks, if that is what you were thinking."  
  
"I wasn't. You going to beat him this time?"  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"What about Sakura? Are you going to visit her again?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"I think that you two would have made a cute couple," Meilin slyly stated.  
  
"And I think that you and Touya would have made cute children," Xiao Lang sated back.  
  
Meilin blushed.  
  
"Do you think that she would fall in love with someone else?" she asked as she fought to regain her composure.  
  
"She could if she really wanted to," he answered.  
  
"Then what do you think?"  
  
"I think that it's time to go," he smiled and then disappeared.  
  
Meilin scuffled at her cousin before she too disappeared.  
  
------------------------  
  
AN: That's it. It's done. You know how much of a relief it is for me to type out this chapter? Only because I was so proud with my fics of a Syaoran central thing. And because like many of you said, THERE ARE JUST TOO FEW SYAORAN FICS THAT HAS HIM AS THE MAIN CHARACTER!!  
  
So if I get another burst of inspiration again about Syaoran, you can count on me to type it up for you to enjoy. 


End file.
